


Drive!

by wolfgun



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: AU, Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Slow Burn, almost a modern AU but voltron still exists, eventual happy gays i swear, i had a lotta fun writing lances family lmfao, plot heavy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2017-01-13
Packaged: 2018-07-16 18:37:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 59,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7279522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfgun/pseuds/wolfgun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon! Don't you know how to drive? With a car like this, you can't tell me you just love to mosey on down the road like a goddamn geezer," he taunted. "What is this? Just a bit of daddy's money and mommy's rules?"</p><p>"I'll show you geezer, mullet-head!"</p><p>Au Prompt: You’re getting chased by the police and you just jumped in my car and yelled drive, wtf man (except it's not cops because Lance's mom would kill him for bringing home a wanted teen)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Stray

It started off like any other day. Get up, drive to school, sit through the ass load of boring lectures, crack some jokes, drive home. It _should_ have ended like any other day too; waste time surfing the web, not even glance at the homework due on tuesday, and then go to sleep. But y'know, the universe has a god awful way of shoving shit in his face, Lance mused.

 

Instead of going straight home, he went to Hunk's birthday party. It was being held at a space-themed laser tag venue, and god _damn_ he may be in his senior year of highschool but _no one_ is fucking old enough for this shit. Plus, Hunk was one of his best buds. It was a given he went.

 

After he had successfully reigned at the very top in rankings for individual scores, each time pushing his team to first (come _on_ , no one beats Lance with a gun); he had begun to drive home.

 

And then, it had been a typical teenage oh-shit-I'm-almost-out-of-gas-why-didn't-I-fill-up-yesterday panic, and he was pulling into a gas station.

 

His detour _should’ve_ just ended there. But after revving up his engine and making to pull out of the parking lot onto the road, his passenger door is suddenly yanked open and a raggedy (but good-looking, Lance realizes with an afterthought) teenager throws himself in the seat, gasping for air.

 

"Drive!"

 

Whoever this kid was, he was _not_ gonna be taking orders from him; fuck all if he was the president's son or whatever shit. Also, he was too damn young to be the victim of a hijacking. Murder? As if. He'd come back from the dead and continue his life even if he died. But then again, Lance thought, this guy doesn't seem hostile.

 

"What the fuck--Who the fuck are you!?"

 

"Did you not hear me?" The boy's voice rose in hysteria, underlined with frustration. "If you don't floor it, your car will be absolutely smashed! And probably, so will you!"

 

A chorus of muffled shouts sounded from somewhere behind his car, and the kid cursed. The voices didn't sound happy. Somewhere in the background, glass shattered.

 

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon! Don't you know how to drive? With a car like this, you can't tell me you just _love_ to mosey on down the road like a goddamn geezer," he taunted. "What is this? Just a bit of daddy's money and mommy's rules?"

 

"I'll show you geezer, mullet-head!"

 

Lance put the pedal to the metal, and as gas flooded his engine, his car jerked onto the road. He shot down the asphalt, muttering under his breath about some stupid-ass white kid getting into a goddamn prissy bitch-fight. In his rearview mirror, the shape of a mob of angry teenagers retreated, raising fists in the air and hollering something they couldn't hear.

 

"I'm not white, I'm Korean."

 

"Korean my ass; your skin's still pale as fuck, delinquent."

 

"Delinquent seems like it's too big and advanced a word for you to use." The random teenager relaxed as the two of them sped further and further away from the gas station, but his mouth was just as sharp as it was before.

 

"Y'know, for being someone who saved your sorry ass back there, you aren't being any sort of damn thankful," Lance growled. The boy just huffed, crossing his arms and facing forward.

 

Lance took this time to really examine the kid; he had dark hair and was wearing a red leather jacket. He had on some sort of fingerless gloves, which were probably aimed to make him look cool, but only really managed to make him look like a tool. His eyes were something, though; even in the pitch black night and the lack of illumination on the country road, they reflected the light from the waxing moon and the dashboard prettily.

 

"The name's Keith," he said, leaning his head on the back of the passenger seat. "And those guys back there were about to beat my sorry ass dead."

 

"Lance. And why?"

 

"... The ringleader's girl to followed me around all night at this stupid party instead of him."

 

"Ah," Lance murmured, haltingly. "That... you didn't even do anything?" Keith threw his hands up in the air.

 

"Nope. But honestly, I don't get what kinda girl can be with a guy like that," he rested his chin on his hands and leaned towards the window. "Like, there's gotta be a point to where if she was looking at other boys, hers must not be that impressive." Lance's brows knitted together. Yeah, imagine being chased by a couple of dudes because a girl's actually paying attention to you. Sucks.

 

"Well, whenever you see him next, you're gonna die."

 

"I have no problem taking on just him and a few other of his dumbass 'friends'," Keith said, emphasizing 'friends' with a mocking tone; "It's that entire gang that'll do me in. He had like ten people. I may be good, but even I know I can't handle ten at once."

 

Lance just continued to drive, watching the darkness pass and glancing at the time. It was just past 1 am. Damnit.

 

"Look, I need to get home, so where do you live?"

 

"Uh... There's no way I can go back to my apartment. They'll be there and waiting..."

 

"Are you saying I picked up a stray and now I have to feed you?"

 

"... You don't have to feed me."

 

"Whatever, give you a bed?" He didn't answer. "Don't you have anyone you can call? Mom? Dad? Sibling?" When Keith shook his head to all of these, Lance looked back to the road, sighing inwardly. "Not even a friend?" Keith just shrugged. He felt kinda bad for the guy. He should probably be worried that this guy was gonna shank him in the middle of the night, but for some odd reason, he felt like he could trust the guy, mullet or none.

 

"Fine, you can stay at my place for the night." And with that, he turned the car down the next street, and headed home.

 

{--+--}

 

"Mom! I'm home!" Lance walked in the door, shrugging off his coat and tossing it on the rack. He heard his mother shuffling around somewhere upstairs.

 

"Hello, dear! How was Hunk's party?"

 

"It was fun! I got first place in all the rankings. My team won each time."

 

"Ah, I'm glad to hear that!" The voice was muffled by the walls. Keith stood awkwardly in front of the door, eyes flicking around. All in all, the house was very nice; it was spacious, decorated nicely, and obviously kept in good order.

 

"Also, I brought a friend over. He'll be staying the night, if that's alright."

 

His mom walked down the stairs, coming forward to regard her son and his 'friend.' "Who is this? I haven't seen him before."

 

"Oh, this is Keith. He's in my history class."

 

"Well... alright. Just remember to fall asleep at a decent time."

 

"Mom... it's already 1:30 am."

 

"Then have a good night, dear," she said, waving off the two boys and heading back into her room. Lance motioned for Keith to follow, and the two ascended the flight of stairs.

 

"Okay," he whispered, "the first thing you have to remember is that my mom's a really light sleeper. So no midnight snacks, no goofing around. I have 3 brothers and 2 sisters, who are all younger than me and all probably asleep. Except for Pierce, maybe. He likes to stay up and play Smash." Lance led the way into his room, which was surprisingly more tidy than Keith had pictured. His mom must not tolerate much clutter, because he was almost completely sure Lance was a messy person.

 

"You can sleep on the floor, I'll get you a change of clothes if you want and also a mattress."

 

"It's fine, you don't have to worry about the clothes. And..." He paused awkwardly, rocking backward on his heels for a bit. "...Thanks."

 

"No problem. Though, you do owe me." Lance walked back into the hallway, opening a sibling's room (carefully) and disappearing into it, a second later dragging a twin size mattress behind him (not so carefully). He laid it next to his bed, wiping his hands together. Keith stood by the door, watching him assemble it.

 

"Last touch." Lance whipped a pillow at Keith while he was in the middle of sitting down, and it knocked him right in head, causing him to jerk forward.

 

"Ow! What the hell was that!?"

 

"Shhhh!" He put a finger to his lips. "The kids are asleep!" Keith grumbled something under his breath, but flopped onto the mattress nonetheless; letting out a sigh as the lights went out.

 

It didn't take him long to fall asleep, even if the kid was in a foreign environment; Lance briefly wondered what he's been through to not have any family, and barely any friends. But seeing that perpetual frown relax into something more innocent made him think that maybe Keith's just had a bad hand in life. Maybe.

 

{--+--}

 

Lance opened his eyes and became acutely aware of the sound of heavy breathing, one that wasn't his; he turned towards the noise and saw Keith's hunched figure. His eyes were squeezed shut and sweat glistened on his brow; a few more seconds of observation, and Lance figured he was having a nightmare.

 

He at first opted to just leave the guy alone; but it got worse. Soon, he was grunting in his sleep, and twitching. Lance stepped carefully out of bed, tiptoeing and crouching next to Keith, raising a hand to shake his shoulder. Whatever he was dreaming about, it was intense.

 

Without even a tap, he jerked awake, slapping away Lance's hand and backing away in a daze.

 

"Wh..." He looked a bit disoriented, blinking first at the person in front of him, and then around the room. His shallow breath filled the silence.

 

"Uh. You looked like you were..."

 

"Y-Yeah." He ran a shaky hand through his hair. “Happens sometimes. It’s fine. Sorry for bothering you.”

 

Lance pursed his lips, remaining there for a second longer; then headed back to his own bed. When he glanced back at Keith, he had turned his back to Lance, and curled into an even tighter ball.

 

Not for the first time that night, he wondered just who the hell this mullet-head was.

 

{--+--}

 

“Augh!”

 

Keith’s short yelp woke Lance; but he didn’t get time to even open his eyes before two weights landed painfully on his chest and legs. His siblings had come to wake them up.

 

“Ugh! Get off!” Lance pushed blindly at the little bodies, and when the kid on his chest had stopped suffocating him with a pillow, he retaliated by snaking his arms around and tickling his assailant. Child’s laughter erupted from on top of him, and he smirked.

 

“No! No, no, no!” More shrieking laughter. “Lancey, Lancey, stop! I’ll get off, I promise! I promise!”

 

“Are you sure?” He lifted his youngest sister off of him, flashing her a triumphant smile. “Marie, promise me.”

 

“I promise, I promise!” She wriggled in his grip, and he rolled over and slid her carefully onto the floor. He glanced at Nancy, at his feet, and made a move towards her; upon seeing this, the girl hopped onto the floor with a squeak. The threat of tickles always gets them.

 

Lance looked over to where Keith was sleeping, and--correction, _had been_ sleeping; he could only make out a mop of mullet hair under his other sister and one other brother. He winced in sympathy.

 

“Diego, Alex; get off him, or else I’m gonna tickle you.” He swung his legs off his bed, and darted into the fray; he got Alex under the arm and Diego by the side. They both screamed with laughter, dispersing to reveal a very tired, very annoyed Keith.

 

“Alex, Marie, Nancy, Diego, Pierce! If you’re doing what I think you’re doing, you better not be!” Lance’s mom’s voice sounded from somewhere down the hall, and all at once the kids were gone. Keith was left sitting up slowly, groaning. Lance couldn't stop the laughter that erupted from him, at the sight of Keith's hair. It was sticking up horribly in every direction.

 

“Sorry about that… It’s been a while since I’ve had anybody sleep over so… I kinda forget that they do that.” In response, the guy just gave him a withering look.

 

“Boys! Breakfast!”

 

Lance jumped up instantly and raced down stairs; Keith followed more slowly. His mom had made an absolute feast for them; scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, toast; even breakfast sandwiches and omelets. Keith stared wide-eyed at the huge table, and the ring of kids around it; Lance took a seat in a larger wooden chair, and motioned for his 'friend' to do the same.

 

“Sorry I didn’t properly introduce myself last night; I’m Valerina Diaz, Lance’s mother.” She held Keith in a very firm handshake. “Help yourself!”

 

Keith watched the family tuck into the plates of food, amazed at their… well, everything. Vivacity, amicability, and organized chaos. He’s never really been around kids, so he doesn’t know how to handle them; and this experience was definitely foreign to him. Lance noticed Keith's empty plate and hesitation, and without a second thought, started to shovel out food for him.

 

“C’mon man; it’s not every day one gets to experience the absolute culinary excellence of Casa De Diaz!” At this, Keith shook his head and snorted softly, but gratefully dug into the food nonetheless. And it was certainly good; the best he’s had in a long time. Not that he's had much to compare it with, though.

 

“So, um… Who are you?” One of the kids spoke up from across the table. It was the youngest girl, Marie.

 

“Ah, I’m… My name’s Keith.”

 

“Yeah… But what are you to Lance?” This time, it was the oldest brother of the kids that spoke up, looking over his glasses to gaze at the stranger. Lance cleared his throat.

 

“Pierce, don’t be rude to our _guest._ He’s is my _friend,_ in my… history class _._ ” He emphasized ‘friend’ very clearly, and at this, the kids at the table all turned their eyes on Keith. Keith fidgeted under their stares, opting instead to chew on a piece of toast.

 

“Yeah, but big bro,” The oldest sister, Nancy, chimed in, “you never bring home any friends… Are you sure you two aren’t dat--”

 

“ALRIGHT,” Lance interrupted, clearing his throat; Keith jumped slightly as his silverware slammed into the table. Needless to say, he was very, very confused.

 

“Kids, it’s time to leave Lance and his friend alone now, okay?” Mrs. Diaz smiled from the other end of the table, but it was absolutely frigid. Lance coughed. Keith stared down at his eggs, turning his fork over in his left hand. Pierce continued to fix him with a calculating stare.

 

{--+--}

 

“What the fuck!” Lance drove carefully around to Keith’s apartment, peering out the window at the mysterious cars parked in front of it, and the obvious hostile teenage revenge group posted outside his door. He had originally thought the guy lived in some random-ass shady apartment complex, but he was surprised by how average and even _nice_ the place around here was. Since Keith looked like a grunge-lord, he was expecting his house to be some kinda victorian gothic castle or something.

 

“I told you they’d still be here.” Keith looked absolutely miserable.

 

“Just who the _hell_ did you get mixed up with? The highschool mafia?”

 

“How the hell should I know! I just showed up for a damn good time and then I get this shit!” He glared out the window as they drove away, letting out a frustrated sigh. “What the fuck…”

 

“Is there seriously no one you can call?” Lance gave him a sideways glance, and Keith just sank into his seat, sighing.

 

“... I don’t have any parents. I have an aunt back in Korea that pays for everything here, my uncle over there is super rich or something… My one friend is at an internship at NASA, so I can’t bother him, and the other one has home trouble. So I can’t do anything about this.”

 

“Then… I guess you can stay with me, for the time being.” At this, Keith’s head jerked up; he gaped at Lance.

 

“I-I mean, I’m totally grateful, and I’ll accept the offer, but I don’t even know you dude. And like, I mean, that’s weird?” He ran a hand through his hair. “Ugh. What a fucking mess…”

 

Lance gripped the wheel harder, grimacing slightly, thinking about his siblings. _Tell me about it._

 

{--+--}

 

The two teenagers had sat Mrs. Diaz down after they came back, fully explaining the scenario (but leaving out the part that they just met) and detailing Keith’s situation. Of course, Lance’s mother was completely sympathetic, and the kids were brought out and lined up.

 

“Alright! So from this day forward, Keith will be an honorary member of the Diaz family!” Keith looked down, frowning slightly, as Lance’s mom addressed them.”You will treat him as such, and of course, try not to bother him too much.”

 

“Momma!” Marie raised a hand. “How long with Keith be staying?” Lance heaved forward with a barely disguised fit of laughter, upon hearing his sister’s mispronunciation of Keith. She had changed the ‘th’ into a ‘ph.’ Keith elbowed Lance in the ribs, hard. Leave it to Lance to be inappropriate.

 

“Indefinitely! Until his house is done being renovated!”

 

“Oh! What’s it gonna look like? Can we see it when it’s done?”

 

“You’ll have to ask Keith about that one, Alex! But later,” she added, as he opened his mouth again. “Alright, no more questions for now! Introduction time! Marie, start!”

 

“I’m Marie! I’m 5,” she said, holding up six fingers, “and I love horses and playing racecar!” She had bright eyes and a thick head full of dark, curly hair. She was also missing her two front teeth.

 

“I’m Alex! I’m also 5!”

 

“He and Marie are twins,” Lance whispered into Keith’s ear.

 

“I love winning and dogs!” He was just like his twin sister, with dark curly hair, but his teeth were still there. “I also love playing racecar, but only when I win.”

 

“I’m Diego!” The next boy down the line waved at Keith. Keith gave a small wave back, and Lance let out a snort. "Um… I like… food.”

 

“And how old are you?” His mother prompted, gently.

 

“I’m 8!” He had full, chubby cheeks, and a warm smile. He was the spitting image of Lance’s mom.

 

“My name’s Nancy,” the eldest girl said. Her hair was the lightest brown of the bunch, and also very straight. She also had the darkest skin of the bunch, leaving out her mom. “I’m 12 years old and my hobbies include beating up boys that break Lance’s heart.” She fixed Keith with a very pointed stare. Lance sputtered, starting forward.

 

“For the last time, Nancy, I can take care of myself!”

 

“No you can’t! Remember that time in 10th grade when--”

 

“Let’s not talk about the past! Seriously! Let’s not!” He waved his hands frantically, running forward to put his hand over her mouth. They struggled in the background as the last kid introduced himself.

 

“I’m Pierce.” He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, causing them to flash. “I’m 15, at the top of my class, and if you think you can outsmart me,” he paused, looked over Keith. “You can’t.” Keith felt a chill run over him, and he frowned at the kid, then turned his attention back to Nancy and Lance. Just what the hell was up with this family? What did they think he was doing, spying or something? It's not like  _he_ was the one in that so-called highschool mafia.

 

“A-Anyway, why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself!” Mrs. Diaz gestured for Keith to stand, so he did, awkwardly.

 

“Uh… Well, I’m Keith.” His eyes flicked to Lance. “I’m 17, and... “ Shit! An interest, a hobby, something-- “and I like to fly.”

 

“Fly? Like, as in a bird?”

 

“No, what if he’s superman!”

 

“Stupid Alex, he’s not superman! He’s tiny!”

 

“But Marie, superheros at his age look funny like that!”

 

“No, I mean fly as in pilot. I plan to enroll in the Garrison,” he said with an edge, the twin’s harmless comments ticking him off slightly. Lance stopped struggling with Nancy and looked over at him, his face overcome with some odd expression. Wonder? Surprise?

 

“Alright! Thank you all, for the wonderful introductions. Lance, dear; I have some errands for you to run.” Mrs. Diaz clapped, and the kids ran off to different corners of the house. She produced a piece of paper and handed it to Lance, causing him to groan loudly. “It’s just a list for some groceries.”

 

“No, it’s like, a 3 hour long haul.”

 

“I’m sorry, did you have plans for the rest of the day?” Lance opened his mouth, then closed it, then pocketed the list, frowning.

 

“C’mon, Keith,” he said, walking out the door. Then, over his shoulder; “I’m getting other food I want too!”

 

“No more than $10 worth, hun!” The door shut, and Keith was once again pulled into that blue car.

 

“Alright, well; you’re ‘part of the family’ now, as mom said, so… Welcome to grocery shopping for the familia de ocho,” Lance grumbled. He reversed the car out of the driveway, then shifted gear into drive; and just like that, they were on their way to the grocery store, which was apparently hell to Lance.

 

Keith was grateful for the brief reprieve from the kids' attention, closing his eyes and leaning back in the passenger seat. The last (not even) 24 hours had been an absolutely shit show so far, and now he was running to the store with Lance, as part of the family as an 'honorary member.' Just how the hell does he manage to get himself into these kinds of messes?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the POV in this isn't too weird... I mean, it didn't seem weird to me. But y'know, I'll probably go through and edit this. Anyway, I love angst. This is gonna be angsty as hell. Can you feel it? I can feel it.
> 
> Lance's family is obviously Spanish, because I love that to death. Keith is Korean, and I've decided my preferred last name for him is Chang. That'll show up later though.
> 
> It's been a while since I've posted a work! I'm deep in Voltron hell. And I'm glad to be burning alive.


	2. Daily Shenanigans

“So, uh…. What does your mom need us to get?” Keith tried to raise his voice over Lance’s obnoxiously loud music, but even he could barely hear himself talk. At least the car’s bass system was awesome. It vibrated through his entire body, thrumming the metal of the car.

 

“What?” Lance smirked, making no effort to turn down the volume. His phone was plugged into the aux, blasting some pop song that was popular at the moment. Keith bristled, turning again to the window.

 

The drive lasted no longer than a half hour, and as they walked into the superstore, Lance whipped out the list. It unfolded down. 3 times.

 

“Alright! Time to get started.” Keith gaped at the length of paper, and then at the rest of the store as Lance walked away, towards the first row of huge shelves. “I usually start at this side of the store and make my way around, clockwise.”

 

“What the--what kinda place is this?”

 

“Huh? Oh, it’s just Costco.”

 

“I _get_ _that_ , I mean this looks more like a place where trucks dump their cargo more than a _store_.” His own excursions to the market were usually at ungodly hours of the night, and usually at the local Target.

 

“They sell things in bulk here, so it’s like, better for a family like mine.” Lance pushed a cart to Keith, then grabbed one himself. “Here, we’re gonna need both of these.”

 

“Just… Just how much are we getting, and how long... ?” Lance glanced down at the list, then at his watch, and finally around at the store. He frowned.

 

“Let’s just… start.”

 

“...Alright,” Keith muttered, dragging his feet, letting Lance lead the way.

 

{--+--}

 

Lance seemed to know all the employees; whenever he passed by, they waved, and for some of them, he struck up conversations. It was peculiar to Keith; how Lance both found the energy and the charm to talk like that, seemingly effortless. He would have thought everyone found Lance a nuisance. But the employees always seemed rather happy and enthusiastic to see him, and even more eager to talk. At first, Keith had been annoyed; he wanted to get the stuff they needed and leave, but he found himself content with just watching Lance. He was a hand talker, and it was interesting to see the cycling of emotions that lit up his face as he spoke.

 

“Hey! Keith, come over here,” Lance tugged him over towards a small stand, abandoning the carts. “Try this!” He held out some kind of meatball, complete with its own little paper plate.

 

“Uh…”

 

“Come on! They’re free food samples!” He dropped it into Keith’s hands, then took another for himself. Smiling, he waved at the worker at the stand; his cheeks full of food. The worker laughed, engaging Lance with a witty remark, while Keith just stared at the meatball. He gave a mental shrug, then popped it into his mouth; he was surprised at the amount of flavor the small piece held. Lance strode back to Keith, giving him a smug look.

 

“Lance, what’re these?” It was sweet, but not overwhelmingly so; it made his tongue tingle.

 

“Those are called Hawaiian Meatballs!” He jerked a thumb back at the worker. “Ethan says they’re in aisle 7. Wanna go get some?” Keith nodded. Lance smacked him on the shoulder, causing the other to stumble; but after a quick glare, they headed down the store.

 

They went through the entire building like that, sampling and piling up their carts. After about another hour, Lance’s cart was full, and all the food was beginning to be put into Keith’s cart.

 

“So… How do you plan to pay for all this?” Keith looked between the two of them. All he had was his wallet, with a bit of cash and a debit card inside; and Lance… Lance brandished a credit card.

 

“This food’ll cover my entire family for a month. My dad works for the Garrison, so it’s not a problem.”

 

Keith allowed Lance to fill up the carts, pulling things off the shelves and making comments about them, and even poking fun at some of the weird contraptions the store has. Like, how a towel with pockets was completely unnecessary and totally something he needed. Keith managed to make a comment about how the wrench with a bunch of different functions was an even bigger tool than Lance was. In response, Lance pointed out Keith’s gloves. Keith huffed.

 

“I wear these gloves because it’s easier to punch people. Like I want some asshole slobbering on my knuckles.” To illustrate this, he raises his hand and clenches it. Lance just frowns suspiciously, stepping out of his reach.

 

Two hours later, they loaded the food up into the back of Lance’s car; also piling it up in the back seat. This time, when driving back, Lance kept the stereo off.

 

“So, Keith. You said you’re going to apply into the Garrison?”

 

“Yeah,” he said, a bit guarded. Usually when he told people of his intention to do so, they scoffed, saying that it would definitely get him killed. Though, Lance had said earlier his dad works there, so...  He glanced over warily.

 

“I think that’s what I want to do too.” His gaze was still locked onto the road, but his eyes were filled with excitement. “Have you ever flown before?”

 

“Yeah. Yeah, I have.”

 

“How was is?”

 

“It was… Amazing,” Keith said, briefly remembering the experience. It was when he had broken into a small test flight field under the cover of night, and flown a minor craft until dawn. The feeling of weightlessness as he got farther up into the atmosphere, the view from above the clouds, the sun as he watched it rise. It was just… amazing.

 

“I wanna see it.” Keith snapped out of his reverie, looking at Lance. “I want to see the universe… all I can.” The tone in Lance's voice and the way he seemed to be almost out of breath at the declaration was a lot different than the way he usually stated things. The statement held none of his usual cockiness, none of the smug attitude, none of that lilt that made Keith want to punch him. It made Keith want Lance to do it; to see the universe and space. He looked away.

 

“At the moment, all I have is a hovercraft that I take out every once and a while.” Keith had fixed up an old class-S70 reconnaissance unit, an old design with the red paint wearing off. It was his though, and that’s all that mattered.

 

“What? Dude, really!? Damnit, that’s so cool! I totally wanna ride on it!”

 

“Well, I’d show you, except my house is being guarded by those fuckwads.” An amused smile tugged at the corners of his lips, watching Lance wiggle in his seat like an excited toddler.

 

“They better fuck off!”

 

Keith huffed, watching the trees pass next to the road. _Yeah, they better._

 

{--+--}

 

“Thank you boys! It was a great help to me that you got the groceries! And especially thanks to you, Keith.” Mrs. Diaz caught him in the ray of her smile, and Keith nodded, a bit blinded. Like mother, like son…

 

Lance led the two of them back upstairs to his room, where he promptly threw himself onto the bed. Keith jumped as his phone rang, taking it out and glancing at the caller ID. As he answered, Lance sat up and watched.

 

“Sup.” Keith sat on the mattress, switching his phone to his other hand. “Yeah, I’m--don’t worry about that, it’s not a big deal.” The voice on the other end of the line sounded small. “No, don’t go to my apartment at the moment, I’m having a bit of a dilemma. No, I’m not there right now, I’m at--well, actually, that’s a funny story…”

 

Lance leaned back as Keith retold the story of the chase, the car hijacking, and the fact he’s staying with a complete stranger.

 

“ _What!?_ ” Keith grunted, holding the phone away from his ear as his friend started to yell. Lance could hear the shriek, even from his position across the room. “ _Keith Chang, you better tell me this person is not over 18 and does not have an eye for teenage boys! How reckless of you, you idiot, whipping open some random stranger’s car door and hopping in! You don’t know--_ ”

 

“Alright, _Alright!_ ” He brought the phone back to his ear, rubbing his temple. “God, Pidge, you don’t need to act like my damn _parent_ all the time--”

 

“ _Y_ _ou know exactly why I act like this! It’s because you’re an idiot_!”

 

“Pidge--for fuck’s sake--” Without turning around, Keith tossed the phone backwards to Lance. “Talk to him.”

 

Lance fumbled with the phone, eventually getting enough of a hold and springing into a sitting position on his bed. His finger accidentally hit the speaker button. “Keith--I, uh--hello?”

 

“ _Who the hell are you!?_ ”

 

“Wha--who are _you?_ I’m Lance and for your information, I’m 17 and definitely not a child molester!”

 

“ _Well, I’m Pidge and if you lift one wrong finger against Keith, then you can kiss the image of your future children goodbye_.” Lance sighed, exasperated; glaring at Keith for this mess.

 

“Listen, I’m letting him stay at my place for the time being, because if not, he’ll definitely get fucked up by a bunch of highschool thugs. Which, _by the way,_ isn’t my fucking fault! It’s for his sorry ass’s benefit!”

 

“Who’re you calling a sorry ass? At least I have one!”

 

“Keith, how dare you--”

 

 _“Lance, I want you to tell me about yourself. Like, what you do in your free time. And send me a picture_ ,” Pidge demanded.

 

“Hey, listen here, kid; you sound like, 12, and I don’t have to justify myself--”

 

“ _I_ _’m not 12! I’m 16!_ ”

 

“Well you _sound_ twelve!”

 

Keith stole the phone from Lance. “Here, Pidge; I’ll send you a picture right now.”

 

“Oh no, Keith--you better not--” A flash went off. “Keith!”

 

“ _Oh. I see. You actually look pretty normal_ ,” Pidge said across the line, a moment later.

 

“What the hell _else_ would I look like?”

 

“ _Not-normal_.”

 

“That doesn’t make any--”

 

“Anyway, Pidge,” Keith continued, turning his phone off speaker and bringing it back up to his ear, “as you can see, I’m fine. How are things over at your place?”

 

The conversation dissolved into casual talk, about life, and about the events that transpired since their last contact. Lance found out Pidge was apparently super smart; he could fix just about any device and apparently had been caught hacking into the Garrison’s firewall. The charges were dropped, but he still had a bone to pick with them. He also modified Keith’s phone into the mess it was now.

 

Keith and Pidge said their goodbyes, then the call ended. Lance, at the moment, was playing some videogame on his phone.

 

“So, who was that?” Lance flipped over, gazing at the mullet-haired teen upside-down. Keith turned around, laying with a hand under his head and holding his phone in front. He didn’t say anything. “Don’t ignore me.”

 

“That was Pidge.” Keith continued to scroll on his phone, opening up a chat window and typing a response.

 

“I got all that, I mean like… how you met.”

 

“Does it matter? I didn’t expect you to be so invested in my life.”

 

“You--” Lance huffed. “You’re staying at my house for an undetermined amount of time, because you got into my car to _avoid_ being chased by a damn mob of wannabe mafia. I _think_ I have a right to be invested in your life, whether I chose to be or not. You don’t seem like the type to be friends with a techno-geek.”

 

Keith locked his phone, tossing it with a soft thud onto the mattress. “Fine. I met Pidge one night… while I was dumpster diving for parts.”

 

“Dumpster diving? For _parts_?”

 

“Yeah. The hovercraft I have required some parts that are older, and I don’t have money to buy--”

 

“Wait, wait, wait. You built that hovercraft you have!? _”_

 

 _“No,_ I fixed it up. The one I told you about earlier--”

 

“What the fuck! Where’d you--”

 

“If you’d just _listen_ \--”

 

“Those guys need to get the fuck away from your house so I can try out your hovercraft,” Lance said, completely talking over Keith. “How the hell’d you manage that? God, that’s amazing! Can you fix me up one--”

 

“For fucks sake, Lance--it was only by chance. I found it covered in foliage in one of the forests by Lion’s Castle. I took it home, and fixed it up. I don’t think I can find another one like it, and even if I did, I wouldn’t fix it for you.” Keith picked up his phone again. Lance just hugged his pillow, pouting.

 

“So… Pidge?”

 

“Right. As I was saying, before you _interrupted_ me,” he grumbled, “I met him at the dumpster. It’s the one the Garrison usually dumps their shit in, so I thought that’d be the best place to go. He also builds and tweaks a bunch of technology, so of course he’d be there. Any other life questions?”

 

“Does Pidge fly?”

 

“I’m… actually not sure,” Keith said, his brow furrowing in thought. He sat up, running his hands through his hair. Lance noticed he did that a lot. “I know he has some interest in the Garrison, but I’m not sure he wants to fly. If he does go in, he’ll probably go in for communications or engineer.” Lance nodded. He opened his mouth to say more, but the door flew open, causing both boys to jump.

 

“Mom says it’s your turn for the bathroom,” Nancy narrowed her eyes at Keith, looking between him and her brother. She _hmphed_ , raising her chin, and promptly spun on her heel, leaving the door wide open.

 

“Ah… Well,” Lance said, getting up. “That’s our cue. You can go first, I’ll get you some clothes…”

 

Keith frowned, but got up; poking his head out the door and spotting the open bathroom. It felt weird; showering somewhere else.

 

He stood under the spray of water for a while; closing his eyes and just… thinking. About his life, choices, and where he was now.

 

He always did this; he would think around and around in circles until he got confused, making no clear conclusion and seeing no solution to any of his problems. Finally, with a sigh, he stepped out. Someone had placed clothes outside of the door, so he quickly put them on and exited. They were obviously Lance’s; a fact that both annoyed the hell out of Keith but also comforted him.

 

Lance looked up when Keith stepped back into the room; and even though he knew he had put the clothes out for him to wear, he definitely wasn’t prepared to see the other boy in his sweats. They were slightly too small, defining the muscles that Lance didn’t even know he had. He quickly looked away as Keith pulled the towel down to his shoulders, pretending to be invested in his videogame.

 

“It’s your turn, Lance.”

 

“Oh. Yeah, uh--thanks.” He all but dashed to the bathroom.

 

{--+--}

 

Keith tinkered with his phone, still not fully understanding (or knowing) all the functions Pidge put into it. Apparently he could put trackers on things and use a GPS system to find them. He also, though not advised by Pidge, could create a discharge of electricity akin to a taser. He didn’t understand that one too much, though, since he always used his fists anyway.

 

“You.”

 

Keith looked up, and standing before him was Pierce. The kid was looking down at him, a peculiar glint in his eye. It was the look Keith knew well; a look of someone ready to fight.

 

“Do you need something?” He tried not to clench his jaw, but this situation seriously unnerved him. Where did these kids get it off that they could try and pick fights with him?

 

“You’re not my brother’s friend.” It was such a casual statement; said in full confidence, as if it was just a comment about the weather--something that was clear and defined in front of him. Keith started, opening his mouth, but found nothing to say. “Don’t try and defend yourself--you don’t look like the type my brother hangs out with. You’re the type to kick a person while he’s down.”

 

He looked away, glaring at somewhere on the floor. Fights found him. He didn’t deny it; he’d always been quick to anger, quick to lunge. There were too many to count, too many to remember--he honestly didn’t know if he’d ever kicked someone when they were down. And if he had, why would that be so bad? If his opponent threw a punch, they must have known what could happen.

 

“Look, kid; I don’t know you, and you don’t know me. It’s not clever to make assumptions about people.”

 

“But I’m not making assumptions.”

 

“Just ‘cause you’re book smart doesn’t mean you’re people-smart. In fact, it usually means the opposite.” At this, Pierce took a step forward, leaning down into Keith’s face. In his eyes sparked a fire, but in Keith’s, the fire had been smoldering for a long, long time.

 

“You better not pull Lance down with you, jailbait.” He walked out.

 

Keith looked at his phone. It was 11:23 pm.

 

{--+--}

 

When Lance emerged from his shower, he found the air in his room to be oppressive; Keith was on his side, his phone directly in his face. He looked like he had just found out someone had stuck a piece of gum on the back of his jacket.

 

“Uh… Keith?” All at once, the hostile air was directed at him. He flinched back.

 

“What?” The look he gave over his phone caused Lance to quickly turn out the lights and crawl into his bed.

 

“Nothing.”

 

Silence spanned for a long, long time; despite never looking over at Keith, Lance knew he was awake. He wanted to say something, but the thickness in the air was finally beginning to disappear; he didn’t want it to come back. He was more than surprised when the other boy broke the silence.

 

“Do you…” Keith paused. “I mean...  Nevermind." Lance heard him shifting on the mattress, and when he peeked over the edge of his bed, Keith was staring right up at him.

 

“Is there something wrong?” At this, Keith pursed his lips, looking away.

 

“They… your family cares about you a lot.”

 

Lance blinked, looking down at him. He seemed smaller, suddenly; somehow; Lance knew he had to choose his next words carefully. But… well, that really wasn't his strong point. And from the looks of it, it wasn't Keith's either.

 

“Does your… family live in Korea?”

 

“... No.” It took him a while to answer, and he didn’t glance back up at Lance. “My parents are dead.”

 

“I… I’m sorry to hear that,” Lance whispered, taking a moment to let the weight of that sink in. No wonder he had been so surprised, so stiff earlier.

 

“In a flight accident.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“That’s how they died. In a flight accident.” He didn’t say any more, and Lance didn’t ask. The sound of the crickets outside permeated the room, and trees rustling in the night wind eased the tension completely.

 

In the darkness, just as they were about to sleep, Lance turned towards the other teen.

 

“Thank you for telling me,” he said, and Keith almost didn’t hear.

  
Almost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I overuse the 'tool' joke too much but come on.... It's a classic.
> 
> It's one of those times where I legitimately wish I had a plan with this fic, because honestly, I don't. I mean I do, but I don't really know how I'll get there. Ah, well... I'll manage.


	3. What They Don't Tell You on the Warning Labels

The next morning, Lance woke up to find Keith was nowhere in the room. Slightly suspicious, he threw himself out of bed, yawning, and wobbled down the stairs. He heard laughter in the kitchen, and saw his three youngest siblings sitting at the table. His mom was in the process of making breakfast.

 

“Hey,” Lance yawned, scratching his stomach, “anyone seen Keith?”

 

“Keith is helping move some boxes in the garage,” Mrs. Diaz said, pointing an accusing wooden spoon at her lazy son. “He got up early and basically begged for something to do, unlike a certain someone…”

 

“Gimme a break, will ya? I got… important stuff to take care of…”

 

“Like what!” Alex popped up from under the table.

 

“Yeah, I usually just see you playing on your phone,” Marie chimed, scribbling on a piece of paper. Lance frowned.

 

“Hey, I’ll have you know that I gotta play that game at least once daily or else I’ll lose all my stats.”

 

“Mrs. Diaz… Where would you like me to move the gray bins?” Keith emerged from the door behind him, sweat glistening on his brow. Lance felt a slight heat rise to his cheeks as he looked over the other boy. “Oh, morning, Lance.”

 

“Buenos dias, _mi amigo,_ ” Lance grumbled, mockingly. He turned quickly away, not letting his eyes wander too much. _Damn stupid shirt._ Keith’s eyebrows knitted in confusion. Mrs. Diaz whacked Lance upside the head with the spoon, and he let out a loud whine.

 

“Don’t worry about that, right now! Have some breakfast, dear!” She started to set out plates, and Lance threw himself down next to Keith.

 

“Lance, your father is arriving at the airport today; so in a little while can you go pick him up?” He blinked, surprised.

 

“I thought he was coming back next week.”

 

“He was, but apparently the project he was working on was momentarily suspended. So, he’s taking the extra time to come home early.” She smiled as Lance’s face lit up.

 

“Yeah! Yeah, I can go get him.” Keith watched as the family became noticeably more excited after the news; they had more of a skip in their step, were more inclined to smile. He shifted awkwardly. Lance spoke again, his words muffled by food. “Mom, is your car running any better?”

 

“No,” She said, sighing. Her fork was set down with a slight clank, and she took a napkin and wiped her hands. “I still don’t know what it is, I think we’re going to have to take it into the shop.”

 

“Well, y’know--Keith here’s pretty good with cars.” Lance shot Keith a look, and Keith frowned, but only slightly.

 

“Uh, if you’re having problems--I mean, I can definitely take a look at it. See what I can do.”

 

“That sounds great!” She clapped her hands together. “Then, if you don’t mind, after breakfast, I can tell you what’s been happening and all that.” Keith nodded, unable _not_ to smile back at Mrs. Diaz.

 

{--+--}

 

Lance left not much later after Keith began to work on his mom’s car, running past jingling his keys. He was wearing a pair of those really obnoxiously reflective type of aviators. The type with the super saturated color on the lenses. It was bright orange. Keith frowned at him. _What a tool._

 

“Hasta la _later,_ Keith!” He stuck his head out the window, waving wildly as he began to back up.

 

“Pay attention or you’ll wreck your car, idiot!”

 

“Shut up!”

 

Keith ducked under the hood of the light blue minivan, checking the oil, making sure the spark plugs were in place, and overall cleaning the grime off anything that could prove to be a problem. In all honesty, he’s only ever worked with hovercrafts and motorbikes. Not a car. But it was pretty much the same type of shit, just a bigger engine. Kind of.

 

He didn’t really know how long he was out there, tinkering away, moving this, replacing that, but it was hot. Really hot. Like, for a day in late spring, it was unheard of. He could feel the sweat run down his back, and he began to drip it on the car; for the metal that was in the sun, his sweat sizzled. He was grateful for the shade the garage _did_ provide, but fuck. It definitely wasn’t cool enough.

 

Sliding himself under the van, he took a wrench and began loosening a valve, a pan under the car to catch the sludge that drained out. Mainly, he was just doing routine check-up stuff. Jiffy lube could probably do it better, what with how many damn ads they put everywhere. He wiped his forehead with the bottom of his shirt, inspecting his handiwork as he came out from under the car.

 

“How’s it going?” Mrs. Diaz stepped out into the garage, looking at the engine, then back at Keith.

 

“You have some new oil, right? Since it looks pretty gross, I’m just changing it. I checked around the engine, of the parts I could reach the easiest, and nothing seems out of place. It might just be age.” He clamped his mouth shut, suddenly; acutely aware of her eyeing his work. Pierce and Nancy glared at him from the threshold of the house.

 

“Yeah, I figured that was mostly it. But thank you for this!”

 

“Oh--No problem, it’s the least I can do, since…” He trailed off, getting distracted at the sight of Nancy making a cut-throat gesture at him. Mrs. Diaz handed him a cold water bottle, and he opened it gratefully, doing his best to just  _ignore._

 

She walked back inside the house, and as the door shut, all he could see was a flash from Pierce’s glasses. He rolled his eyes, feeling irritation flare inside his chest. Just what the hell did he do, anyway?

 

He was directly under the car, tightening the oil valve when he heard Lance’s car pull back into the driveway. The doors slammed, and a very obnoxious, very recognizable voice was talking. Loudly, of course. As if Lance could be anything but.

 

“Yeah, he’s having some trouble at home and all that so he’s staying here for the being. He’s a pretty good mechanic, so at the moment he’s taking a look at mom’s car. I’d have Hunk look at it, but he’s out at the beach right now.” Keith pinched the bridge of his nose. He hated it when people talked about him, especially if he could hear it. “See? Here he is.”

 

Keith yelped as his ankles were yanked, and he slid ungracefully out from under the car, getting a too-close-for-comfort shot of Lance’s ugly smug face. That expression faltered when Lance realized that Keith’s shirt had rode up, and that he was also pretty sweaty.

 

“Lance! I was working!” He growled, trying to smooth out the fabric. “You know how dangerous that is? My face could have gotten caught on a part of the car and my nose could be gone!” He nervously cleared his throat as he realized Lance’s dad was standing right beside him. Whatever image he conjured in his head of Mr. Diaz, it wouldn’t have fit.

 

The man was very tall, a bit taller than Lance (and maybe even Shiro); he was currently wearing a navy blue suit, and his jacket was decorated with a plethora of multicolored bands and badges. Talk about presence.

 

“You should be more careful,” his father said, turning to clap Lance on the back, roughly. “Nice to meet you, Keith. You can just call me Mr. Diaz.” He held out a hand, and Keith scrambled to stand so he could take it.

 

“Thank you for… having me here, Sir.” The handshake was very firm. Keith would be lying if he said it didn’t intimidate him a bit. “You have a wonderful family,” he added, though he made sure to glare at Lance. Lance stuck his tongue out in response.

 

“I’m glad you find our discord joyful.” His smile was almost as dazzling as his wife’s.

 

The two headed inside, and he heard a chorus of excited and happy screams. Mr. Diaz gave a hearty laugh, and even as Keith sat outside listening to it, pouring in the oil for the car, his lips quirked into a slight smile.

 

{--+--}

 

When he headed back inside, the entire family was gathered around the table. Lance’s dad was currently in a tale of a ‘haunted craft’ that he had to deal with at the Garrison; but as he watching the kids all lean in, he noticed Lance was removed from it. He was looking outside the window, eyebrows pushed together slightly, and a distant look in his eyes. It gave Keith pause.

 

Lance looked up as he heard the door shut, and upon seeing Keith, he removed himself from the table. The two headed upstairs.

 

“Here. You’re a medium, right? All my stuff is small.” He tossed two bags worth of clothes at him. New clothes. Like, as in, just bought.

 

“Uh, Lance--this is a bit much, really--”

 

“Just shut up and take it. And shower already--you look and smell gross.” Keith opened his mouth to protest, but he was shoved out of the room towards the shower. He went quiet as laughter drifted up the stairs from the level below. Lance pursed his lips, looking like he wanted to say something else, but in the end, he just huffed, and Keith went to go take a shower.

 

{--+--}

 

The clothes fit better. A _lot_ better. He heaved a sigh of relief.

 

When he stepped into Lance’s bedroom, he saw Mr. Diaz sitting on the bed, talking. He immediately felt awkward.

 

“Ah, sorry… am I interrupting something?”

 

“Nothing at all,” his father says, and Keith sits down on the mattress. A beat of silence passes. “Keith… Chang, right? You’re… Grace and Minho’s son, aren’t you?”

 

As soon as he says that, Keith freezes. He doesn’t want to act rude, but he feels his breath stop; he turns toward the man, if only slightly. It feels like he got punched in the gut.

 

“Dad, I don’t think--”

 

“They were very brave, the two of them.” Keith looks away. “Sent to Kerberos for a brief scan of the surface of the moon.” He knows this. He knows it already. He closes his eyes.

 

“I was their classmate during my days in the Garrison… but I never imagined the two of them had a son.” Keith slumps forward, slightly, and tries not to let his shoulders tense. The flow of memories in his mind begins to start--his mother, laughing at him as he had slipped on a patch of ice during the winter, his father watching him unscrew a model RC Plane and fix it, nodding approvingly--the way his parents' eyes twinkled when they looked at him, the way--He grits his teeth, clenching and unclenching his fists; and then he stands, as a final image of his parents, on the news, flashed behind his eyes.

 

“I’m going for a walk.”

 

“Keith--Hey, Keith!”

 

He doesn’t check if Lance is coming after him. Finding his shoes at the end of the stairs, he picks them up and walks out the door. He already knows it was a bad decision, running away; but he can’t deal with it. Shaking his head slightly, he tries to knock away the pressure building in his temples.

 

He never could deal with people trying to sympathize with him about his parents. He knew they were great people. He knew they died too young. He knew he would never see them again, ever.

 

The world outside is cool but humid; temperature beginning to drop with the setting sun. Each time his heart beats, his feet hit the pavement, taking him farther away from whatever the fuck that was.

 

After a while, he slows. And after that, he puts on his shoes. Sighing, he drags his hand down his face. He just ran from the one home that would accept him, and now that he had stemmed the flow of memories, he feels like a brat. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he looks around.

 

He doesn’t really know where he is, but he figures he can just keep walking until he sees a familiar roadmark. It’s been two days already, and he’s probably overstayed his welcome at the Diaz household anyway.

 

His phone begins to go off, but he ignores it, instead turning down the next row of houses and continuing on. The neat plots of houses gradually turn to apartments, and then the apartments fade into a park. He keeps going, past the park, into the forest.

 

In all reality, he really isn’t surprised when he ends up at the shack. He should have just come here in the first place. It’s an old, abandoned house next to the Castle of Lions, near where Keith had found his hovercraft. No heating, no a/c; but it’s always been there for him, quietly waiting until he returned to welcome him back. The one constant.

 

He sat down on the moth-eaten couch and listened to the trees for a while, calming himself and evaluating his actions. No matter how he looked at it, he was a Grade A fucking idiot; he went to that party, allowed that girl to follow him around, and then he jumped into Lance’s car. He should have just gotten beaten up and been done with it.

 

His phone rings again, and this time, he checks the caller ID. He didn’t know when the hell he got Lance’s number.

 

“What?”

 

“Oh, you run away in the middle of the night and all you can say to me when I call is ‘what’?” He sounds legitimately angry. Keith hisses, feeling his anger flare.

 

“Listen, last time I checked, you weren’t liable for me.”

 

“Yeah, well; if I’m not, then who is?” Lance’s voice annoyed the shit out of him. God, he was so fucking annoyed. That comment rubbed him the wrong way.

 

“Not you, not Pidge, not even Shiro--none of you are liable!” He knew he was getting out of control, but he couldn’t stop the words that rolled off his tongue, hot and agitated. “Look, I’m sorry I involved you in that stupid damn getaway, and I’m damn sorry you had to bring me home like a fucking stray. But I--”

 

“What are you even angry about! Am I not allowed to be worried? What the hell is wrong with you!?” The words died on Keith’s tongue.

 

“You--Why are you worried?”

 

“What--Why _wouldn’t_ I be?” Lance groaned loudly, muttering something that sounded a lot like _Keith, Dios mio, idiota_ _._ “I didn’t ask you about all the damn bullshit when I first met you, but how the hell are you even able to be alone at your apartment? Where the hell are your guardians? Why are you so fucking dead-set on being the hell alone?”

 

“Shut up! I--”

 

“Where are you? I’m coming to get you. Where are you?”

 

“Lance--Jesus christ, you don’t have to look after me like a goddamn--”

 

“Well then stop acting like a goddamn half-drowned kitten!”

 

“I’m _not_ acting like a goddamn half-drowned kitten!”

 

“You so are!”

 

“I am not!”

 

“Where are you!?”

 

“I--” He cursed, not even trying to take the receiver away from his face. “Don’t want to talk about my parents, Lance.” He cringed at how horrible that sounded.

 

“Okay. We don’t have to do that.” Lance’s voice grew softer. Keith felt the hot tears begin to overflow, and he leveled his voice.

 

“I’m… I’ll… send you my location.” He hung up.

 

{--+--}

 

Lance parked at the end of a long-unused dirt and gravel road. He checked his phone. According to the GPS Keith sent out, he should be another half mile into the forest. Sighing, Lance stepped forward. It's not like he didn't  _want_ to trust the guy, but seriously--it's night, and the location Keith sent him was in the middle of the fucking forest. Cue murder scene, much?

 

And honestly, it was just his luck to get stuck with some whiny-ass emo teen. An emo teen with a long-overdue haircut. But as the twigs crunch under his feet, Lance knows that’s not actually how he feels about Keith.

 

He knows Keith’s been through a rough time. He was 13 when both his parents were lost, on the same mission no less; for a boy that young, losing both his mom and dad… Lance scratched his head as his phone light came across a shack.

 

“Keith?”

 

He stepped inside, mouth dropping open slightly from the lines drawn across the wall and the thousands of maps. Whatever this place was, Keith had spent a lot of time in here. Lance shut the door behind him, gaze immediately travelling to a bundle on the couch. For as much as Keith insisted he wasn’t a kitten… well.

 

Lance sat gingerly next to Keith, who had hidden his face in his knees.

 

“Sorry,” he mumbled, muffled by the blanket and his skin. Lance just sighs, but not out of annoyance. He yanks Keith into a hug; and it takes a moment for Keith to relax.

 

They sit there like that, for a long while; inside the abandoned shack in the mysterious forest. Lance wonders how Keith even found this place.

 

“Your dad just came home,” Keith started, stirring. “You… You should…”

 

“No.” Lance blinked blearily, stifling a yawn. “My brothers and sisters need time with him more than I do.” Keith was quiet for a while. Lance shivered slightly as the temperature in the room dropped, and he forced himself under the covers.

 

“Y’know, for someone who acts so damn cold all the time… You sure are warm.” Lance yawned this time, knowing he was probably overdoing it with the proximity to Keith, but at the moment, didn’t find it in him to care too much.

 

“Yeah, well… you’re just an ass.” Keith let out a grunt as Lance whacked him lightly on the head. “Body heat stealer,” he muttered sourly. Lance smiled, shifting his position and knocking the other boy over. He felt Keith try and push him off, but he wrapped the other in a hug.

 

“This is a lot more comfortable,” he mumbled, and it came to his attention by a rogue little thought that they were now, more or less, cuddling. He immediately, figuratively, stabbed that thought and locked it away in a metaphorical coffin. Keith wiggled slightly, his arms hovering in front of his chest.

 

“Lance, uh--”

 

“Relax, idiot.”

 

“I get that, but what about--aren’t you gonna go home? Your parents--”

 

“When I go back, you’re coming with me.” He felt Keith stiffen, just slightly. “No protests,” he added. The other boy seemed to mull this over, sighing. He knew Lance was stubborn, and he meant it.

 

“Are we gonna sleep here, then?”

 

In response, Lance just shifted on the couch slightly, pulling Keith tighter. He smirked as he heard a light grunt--really sounding more like a squeak than anything else.

 

“Unless you want to return in the middle of the night, with Pierce and Nancy and Diego and--”

 

“Don’t list all your siblings.”

 

“I was going to add my parents, too.”

 

“If we’re sleeping here, then…” Keith tried to extract himself from Lance, but Lance held tight. “Lance.”

 

“You’re so mean. It’s so cold, and you’re going to leave me?” He stuck his bottom lip out dramatically, shooting Keith his signature pout. The other boy glowered at him, face inches from the other’s.

 

“...I’m just going to get a bigger, heavier blanket.” He was released, and Keith tiptoed around the room, pulling something out of a drawer on the other side. Lance felt a nice weight land on him, and looked up in time to see Keith frown at him. Yawning again, he opened the blankets for the boy to crawl under, but became exasperated when Keith hesitated.

 

“Listen, you fucking loner--my family says I’m a very good cuddler and at the moment I’m really cold and if you _don’t_ come here I’m going to--”

 

“Shut up, Lance.” He could barely make out the slight blush that dusted Keith’s cheeks.

 

It was almost funny how carefully Keith slid onto the couch; trying not to touch Lance at first. This proved to be in vain, of course. Lance didn’t give Keith much room to agonize over it, as he quickly pulled the other again into an embrace.

 

Lance tucked Keith slightly under his chin, allowing room for the two of them to breathe. This way, Keith couldn’t see that Lance was also somewhat flustered by their closeness, either. After adjusting for a few moments, his eyes began to slip shut. He knew Keith felt awkward about this, because if you haven’t noticed by now--Keith is fucking _awkward--_ so he forced the other’s arms around him and knocked his legs into a more comfortable position.

 

“Relax, Keith,” Lance sighed, breath ruffling dark hair; and he swore he felt a slight shiver in Keith. Maybe it was his imagination, though.

  
Eventually, his breathing evened out, and he no longer was able to keep the heaviness from closing his eyes. He cursed himself; mostly for being in this situation, but also for falling asleep before Keith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's better than this... guys being dudes... cuddling... caring for each other... 
> 
>  
> 
> Keith's never really learned to deal with emotions, and as usual, Lance has too many.


	4. Aliens???

Lance groaned as a loud ringtone woke him up; he blinked open his eyes, confused for a brief moment as he took in the interior of the shack. He supposed he couldn’t call it abandoned anymore; it was Keith’s.

 

Speaking of Keith…

 

The other boy was fast asleep, and it was really quite amazing to see the lack of tension on his face. He had a sudden urge to brush away a lock of his hair, but the cell phone going off again caused Lance to curse, and his hovering hand darted to his pockets. But when he took out his smartphone, he realized it wasn’t him.

 

He glanced down at Keith to make sure he was still asleep, then carefully felt his way around the red jacket. He found the phone not a second later; pulling it out to glance at the caller ID. It was from a guy named Shiro, who Lance briefly recalled Keith mentioning last night.

 

For a guy who doesn’t have many friends (specifically, two), he sure gets calls a lot.

 

It took Lance a while to figure out how to answer the call on Keith’s phone, because _what the hell did Pidge do to it?_ But he figured he finally got it right when he heard a voice on the other end say hello.

 

“Uh--Hi?” Great start. Eloquent. Lance cleared his throat a bit.

 

“Who is this? Where’s Keith?”

 

“Um, my name is Lance--uh, due to certain circumstances, Keith is staying at my place. He’s asleep at the moment.”

 

“Oh… Well… Lance, can you tell me how he’s doing then? Why’s he staying at your place? He hasn’t run away again, has he?” _Again?_

 

“Well, it’s a long story. Basically, he jumped in my car one night while running from a gang of guys that were angry this girl was into him and not their leader, and they’re like… _guarding_ his house so he can’t get to it. Since we’re close in age and he had nowhere to go, he’s staying with me.” Lance looked around at the shack. Staying with him. Kinda.

 

“Uh--by the way, I’m not like… a criminal or anything. I know that’s totally what a bad guy would say, but really I have like 5 siblings and they would kill me if I went to jail. And they’re all like, way smaller than me.” He was rambling, but the guy on the other line didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he figured he had done something right, because the guy on the other end laughed.

 

“Well, then I guess I have nothing to worry about. I’m glad you’re taking care of him, Lance. My name’s Shiro.”

 

“Yeah, I know.” Wait, shit. That sounded creepy. “I mean--Pidge may have wired this phone to be almost impossible to figure out but it still has caller ID, and it’s in english. Which is great, and something I can definitely understand.” He smacked himself. God, just kill him and his damn huge mouth. He faltered a bit as Keith stirred under him, taking a big breath and then letting it out, clutching Lance closer.

 

“How has he been?” Shiro sounded concerned, and Lance hummed thoughtfully, stifling another yawn.

 

“He’s been… alright. Still has nightmares sometimes, but gets sleep. My family likes him, so he always has a place there.”

 

“That’s good to hear,” the voice across the phone said, sounding genuinely relieved. “Thank you, Lance.”

 

“Yeah, don’t mention it.”

 

“Lance?” Keith moved under his chin, finally awake.

 

“Speak of the devil, he just woke up.”

 

“Oh. Well if you don’t mind, can I talk of him?” Lance realized he was nodding, and Shiro couldn’t see him. He just had time to say yes before Keith realized Lance had his phone.

 

“What are you doing with that?” Keith glanced at him suspiciously, but Lance just handed it over.

 

“It woke me up. It’s Shiro.”

 

“Shiro--” The reaction was immediate. Keith seized the phone, pushing Lance away. He didn’t go very far, though, since they were still on the couch and Lance was in between Keith and the back cushion. Lance grunted under the pressure. “Shiro?”

 

“Hey, Keith. It’s been a while.”

 

“How are you? How’s--”

 

“I’ve been good, but it seems you’ve been getting into trouble again.” Keith glared at Lance. He just shrugged, shrinking slightly under that stoney stare.

 

“I haven’t _purposefully_ gotten myself into trouble. It just… happens.”

 

“I know. You have to be careful though, Keith.” He huffed, rolling out from under the covers and walking around the room. Lance watched him, slightly miffed that Keith’s body heat was gone. Or maybe it was just Keith. He threw that thought in the coffin with the other one from last night.

 

He watched Keith walk circles in the room, talking to Shiro about anything and everything. Lance couldn’t get it out of his head that the other boy looked good in that plain black shirt. Like. really good. He sighed, rolling over and resting his arm across his eyes. Christ.

 

“Alright, alright. I just--I don’t know how to resolve this. I don’t want it to turn into a huge thing, because my legal guardians are--” A pause. “Yeah, yeah… I know. Shiro, you know talking doesn’t work with these types. They wanted to beat my ass.”

 

Lance felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and groaned on seeing who it was from.

 

>>>From: Hunk [11:03 am]

Hey dude I’m coming back today from the beach where are you

 

Fuck. He hadn’t even thought of telling this whole huge ordeal to Hunk. He quickly unlocked his phone and texted back. This means that someone else could have told him...

 

>>>From: Lance [11:42 am]

whats ur eta we have things to discuss

 

>>>From: Hunk [11:44 am]

1 pm but the fam and I have to unpack so more like 4 pm

 

He sighed as he saw the time. It was gonna be a long, long day.

 

>>>From: Hunk [11:45 am]

Also your little brother tells me you have a boyfriend now

He better be boyfriend material

But your brother said he wears compression gloves who does that he sounds like a tool

 

>>>From: Lance [11:46 am]

wtf dude i have like 3 brothers who told u

 

>>>From: Hunk [11:46 am]

Pierce

 

>>>From: Lance [11:46 am]

that little…

NO, i DO NOT have a BOYFRIEND

 

>>>From: Hunk [11:47 am]

Oh yeah? Then who is this mystery man sleeping in your room every night huh

Answer me Lance, truthfully

 

>>>From: Lance [11:48 am]

OK NOT EVERY NIGHT chill out you big bean

 

>>>From: Hunk [11:48 am]

Why do you call me that

 

>>>From: Lance [11:49 am]

bc thats what u r. a big bean

 

>>>From: Hunk [11:50 am]

More talk about your boyfriend

Less bean talk it’s making me hungry

 

>>>From: Lance [11:50 am]

HES NOT MY BOYFRIEND

 

>>>From: Hunk [11:50 am]

Fine your soon to be boyfriend

 

Lance groaned, very loudly and very dramatically. In the corner of his eye, he saw Keith turn to shoot him a questioning stare, his eyebrows scrunching together. God. Let _him_ figure out _by himself_ what the hell he’s feeling for once, instead of everyone just always assuming. So what, a very attractive teenage guy is staying in his room. And Lance is okay with it. It could mean a lot of things. Probably.

 

>>>From: Lance [11:52 am]

dude shut up or else i will eat you

you and all ur big bean gassy glory

ok ew nvm ill just feed u to the dogs

 

>>>From: Hunk [11:53] am

Sad face :(

 

>>>From: Lance [11:53 am]

u legit do NOT have to write out sad face

 

>>>From: Hunk [11:54 am]

Yes I do

 

>>>From: Lance [11:54 am]

no u dont

 

>>>From: Hunk [11:54 am]

Yes I do

 

>>>From: Lance [11:55 am]

LISTEN OKAY ill tell u everything when we meet or w/e just stfu and stop scheming with my brother

 

>>>From: Hunk [11:55 am]

Your little brother is scheming by himself seriously if I was your boyfriend I would be afraid

 

>>>From: Lance [11:56 am]

HE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND!!!!!!!!!!!

 

>>>From: Hunk [11:58 am]

Chill out there shouty poles

 

>>>From: Lance [11:58]

no one uses that term anymore. also im hurt u dont believe in me and my truth

 

>>>From: Hunk [12:01 pm]

Oh we are going through a bad service area I will text you later also dude you are really gay for this guy

 

>>>From: Lance [12:01 pm]

I AM NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

>>>From: Hunk [12:05 pm]

Whatever you say Lance

 

>>>From: Lance [12:05 pm]

UGH!!!!!!!!!!

ttyl big bean

 

>>>From: Hunk [12.07 pm]

Really sad face <:(

 

Lance locked his phone angrily, stuffing it in his pocket and shooting up from the couch. Keith was still talking to Shiro, so Lance took this time to really take in the maps and markings on the walls. Some of it was blueprints, other things were just random maps, but there was this one diagram that stood out to him. It was of a huge mechanical lion; covered in what he supposed was Keith’s scrawl.

 

He wrote in a lot of red. A more morbid side of Lance thought that it looked like blood; and then he realized, when he took a step back, that everything written on the walls was in red. Keith… liked the color red, apparently. The pen, his jacket… Somehow, it fit.

 

But hell, he could _not_ understand what these words were saying. Not that it was particularly hard to read… it was just… gibberish to him. He didn’t know a majority of what these words meant. Probably some kinda Keith-speak or shorthand.

 

“Alright, take care. Yeah, yeah… you don’t have to do that, y’know. It must be pretty busy up there with the development of the project. I’ll talk to you later. Bye.” Keith hung up, finding Lance staring intently at the diagram of the lion.

 

“I found all these diagrams in the ruins of the Castle of Lions,” he said, amused that Lance was so entranced.

 

“Yeah, you mentioned that to me before. Just… Just what is the Castle of Lions, anyway? I thought it was some legend. Folklore that middle schoolers threw around.” Lance dragged his gaze from the wall to Keith. He was surprised to find those dark eyes glittering.

 

“Want to find out?”

 

{--+--}

 

“Keith! Keith, this sucks! Why the hell are you dragging me out in the middle of a fucking forest--nowhere! We are absolutely _nowhere_ and it’s as hot as satan’s ballsack, I’m fucking sweating buckets. I--” Lance stumbled over a root, falling forward and just barely managing to catch himself. “Fuck this, fuck nature, I hate wilderness, with all its bugs and dirt and--Keith!” He looked around, not seeing that dark mullet ahead of him. He groaned. It was humid and hot and he was sweaty and he did _not_ want to be here right now.

 

“Over here, idiot.” He saw a flash of red, and then Keith was in front of him. He crossed his arms. “Stop falling behind. You’ll get lost.”

 

“It’s not my fault this place is like a maze! How do you even know where to go! I bet you’re lost, fuck! We’re fucking lost in this damn jungle and it’s all your fault, I can’t believe--”

 

“Just shut up!” Keith grabbed ahold of Lance’s olive jacket, and began tugging him along. “I’ve been here countless times. I know exactly where we’re going.”

 

“Oh, yeah. Sure. Follow the mullet-head into a damn jungle maze. Awesome, Lance. Best plan ever.”

 

Keith rolled his eyes, letting go of the jacket and starting forward again. After a while, the trees started to thicken and grow in size; until they blocked absolutely all of the sunlight. Now, it was less hot than it was humid. There was practically water droplets hovering in the air, like a mist. Lance followed Keith closely.

 

Eventually, the two came to a huge wall of rock, laced over with vines and foliage. Lance paused.

 

“Uhh… what now?”

 

“Now, we go in.”

 

“Woah, woah, woah! Woah, Keith. Woah.” Lance seized his arm, and Keith jerked backwards.

 

“What!?”

 

“Uh, pretty sure, in movies, like, super huge spiders live in places like this.” Keith sighed heavily, blowing a lock of hair out of his eyes in the process. “Also like every other possible huge monster ever imaginable.”

 

“Look, Lance. If you’re scared, you can just tell me, and we can cancel this thing off and spend the rest of the day at your house, doing nothing.” He knew Keith was trying to bait him, but he still bristled.

 

“I’m not scared!”

 

“I mean, you obviously are. I’ve been in here before and there were no huge-ass spiders, but I guess you can’t reason with extreme fear.” Keith shook him off, making to turn around, shrugging. “I guess that’s it. No showing you the Castle, or the mecha lion that’s in it--”

 

“There’s a mecha lion in there?”

 

“Yeah, but since you’re scared--”

 

“I’m not scared!”

 

“Then come _on_ , Diaz.” Keith walked right up the a huge bush, then disappeared. Lance hesitated right outside, trying to see if he could peer into wherever the other boy had gone; if there was some kinda hole or maybe if it was an illusion--what if it was a portal of some sort? He yelped as a hand shot out and pulled him in.

 

When the leaves and branches stopped whacking his face, he gaped at what he saw. They had walked directly into a small cavern; and scattered around the walls were drawings of the same sort that Keith had in his shack. Along with the lions, there were tiny luminescent crystals growing out of the rock; it cast a soft eerie glow.

 

“Come on, slow-ass, you’ll catch flies.” Keith began walking, and Lance followed, still taking in the view. A thousand thoughts burst into the forefront of his mind.

 

“Keith! This is amazing! Who did this? How’d you find it? What does all it mean? Is the actual cavern the Castle, or is there more to it? And where is this huge mechanical lion you said would be in here? Do you think this is aliens? Have you told anyone about this? I--” Keith turned around suddenly, clamping his hand over Lance’s mouth.

 

“Shut up. God, do you ever shut up?” Lance felt his cheeks burn slightly as Keith removed his hand. “There’s more to it. The Castle is--” He paused, rotating his right hand, trying to gather the right words. He frowned. “You’ll see.”

 

The cavern continued on for a while, and then suddenly--it opened up. At the top was a huge crystal; it shed a beautiful, bright blue light upon the entirety of the area. Keith pointed across the cave.

 

“Look, that’s the Castle.” Lance followed his finger, and right there, directly built into the rock was a huge door; or well, rather, the rock had formed around the Castle. He immediately ran up to it; rapping his knuckles on the surface and trying to feel for any kind of knob or way to open it. It was cold, and he could only describe the feeling as metallic. But even then, the material was foreign under Lance’s fingertips.

 

“Have you even seen the lion that’s inside of it? How do you open this?”

 

“I… I’m not sure. I’ve been trying to figure out how to open it for the last couple years, but… Well,” Keith shrugged. “You felt it. It’s some kind of weird material, and there are no handles.”

 

“So… you don’t know if there’s a lion in there?”

 

“No, there’s definitely a lion in there.”

 

“How do you know, if you can’t see it?”

 

“The walls say it.” Keith gestured around them, to the symbols and glyphs carved into the rock. “It tells a story of 5 mechanical lions, who can combine into one huge robot… or something. There’s only one of them in here.”

 

“Where are the rest?”

 

“Hell if I know.”

 

Lance walked in a circle, running his hand along the indents in the wall. He didn’t know what kind of language this was in, or even how Keith deciphered it; but he believed it. It was just a simple fact; he was sure if anyone else was telling him this, he’d laugh to hell and back. But not now. He bit his bottom lip, thinking. He jumped as his phone started to ring.

 

“Goddamnit--y’know, what’s with phone calls and scaring the shit out of me? I didn’t think service even reached all the way out here,” he growled, pulling out his phone and answering it hastily. “Hello?”

 

“Lance. Where are you?” Oh shit. He totally forgot to tell his mom where he was. Lance looked around the cavern, wondering how to explain this. _Hey mom, Keith and I spent the night alone in an abandoned shack in the woods, and now are searching deep in the forest for some huge mecha lion?_ Definitely not.

 

“Uh… I’m with Keith.”

 

“ _Where_ are you?”

 

“We’re--” the phone was snatched away from him, and he turned to see Keith raising it to his ear.

 

“Hello, Mrs. Diaz. I hope you don’t mind; Lance and I got caught up talking to one of my friends, and we just woke up. We’re heading out now.” Keith moved the phone under his chin, mouthing to Lance something that looked like ‘GPS’ while pointing to his phone. Lance immediately shook his head. God, if his phone had GPS, and if his mom had access to it… he’d be in deep shit.

 

“Oh, I see! Then that’s just fine. I was worried after I heard you two had disappeared last night. Just be careful okay!” Keith passed the phone back to Lance.

 

“Yeah, mom. Sorry about the confusion; I just got really into, uh, the conversation and forgot to call before I fell asleep.”

 

“Just get home now, Lance.” He flinched at the change in tone.

 

“Alright, I’ll see you in a bit. Love you, bye.” He ended the call with a huff. “God, you saved my ass. How’d you learn to make excuses like that?” Keith dismissed the question with a wave of his hand.

 

“That’s a trade secret.”

 

“Hey! Keith! Come on, you can tell me! Hey!” He followed after Keith’s retreating figure, a bit miffed that he was able to lie like that. Easily.

 

{--+--}

 

When the two of them got home, Lance found out that his father had apparently left earlier that morning for an emergency call. Lance’s face fell at this, and Keith fidgeted guiltily. It was his fault Lance barely saw his dad, after all. But even so, Keith’s anxiety about returning lessened considerably; he wouldn’t have to hear about his parents again.

 

After they got a stern lecture from Lance’s mom, the two headed to his room. Lance opened up his phone to play a game, but realized he had about 3 texts from Hunk.

 

>>>From: Hunk [4:08 pm]

Yo dude I’m ready for you to spill

My fam just got done unpacking and all that so where do you want to meet up

 

>>>From: Hunk [4:17 pm]

Hey you aren’t angry with me are you we both know you’re bi as hell so like no hard feelings right

 

>>>From: Hunk [4:29 pm]

I mean no matter how bi you are you are definitely gay for this dude so text me back

 

>>>From: Lance [4:56 pm]

UGH DUDE SHUT UP hes most likely coming to meet up with us. so take care to stfu

 

>>>From: Hunk [4:57 pm]

God dude where were you a majority of the day like usually you text back super quick but nope you were just gone for like 5 hours

Does it have something to do with your new boyfriend

 

>>>From: Lance [4:58 pm]

DUDE SERIOUSLY STFU HE’S RIGHT HERE UGH

 

>>>From: Hunk [4:59 pm]

So where do you want to meet up loverboy

 

>>>From: Lance [5:00 pm]

i s2g if u dont stfu

and idk where do u want to meet up

 

>>>From: Hunk [5:00 pm]

Uhhhh

How about the park

 

>>>From: Lance [5:00 pm]

k b there in 20

 

>>>From: Hunk [5:02 pm]

Cool Cool

 

Lance rose from his bed, tapping Keith on the shoulder. He was splayed out on the mattress, his head directly in his pillow. He seemed dead, but then he groaned, trying to whack Lance’s hand away.

 

“Hey, c’mon dude we’re gonna go meet my friend Hunk.”

 

“God. I don’t want to go meet your damn friend Hunk. What kind of name is Hunk anyway.” Keith rolled over, shooting Lance the most withering glare. If he was a plant, he would have surely died. Good thing he was human.

 

“What kinda shitty-ass name is Keith?”

 

“S-shut the fuck up--you’re named after a damn weapon.”

 

“Yeah well,” Lance shrugged on his jacket, “be my guest if you want to be stuck with my siblings for five hours. Alone.” At this, Keith sat up. He ran a hand through his hair. How was his hair so damn--it was a fucking mullet, and yet it looked good. Fuck this, honestly.

 

“God, I hate you.”

 

“That’s an odd way to express your love for me, _querido._ ” He emphasized his words with a flourish, heading out into the hall.

 

“I have no clue what the hell you just said,” Keith muttered, looking quickly away and tying his shoes. “And I don’t have any love for you, asshole.”

  
“Mmhm.” Lance walked out the door, a bit giddy that Keith didn’t know spanish, it made him cackle lightly. He would have to see how far he could go with it. Keith stomped down the stairs after him, and Lance yelled quickly to his mom that he was meeting Hunk at the park. She waved them off with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder if any of you have noticed yet that I've fit in a tool joke in every single chapter so far.
> 
> querido (spanish) -- term of endearment, english equivalent: dear, darling.
> 
> Hunk is total bffs with all of Lance's siblings, they love him and Lance is totally jealous of it. It also means Hunk knows everything that's going on with him, even when Lance doesn't want him to.


	5. Close Your Mouth, Take Flight

They arrived at the park, and Hunk was waiting for them directly under a lamppost. When Lance saw that familiar tall figure, he jumped up and down, waving wildly.

 

“Yo! Hunk!” Lance broke off into a jog. Hunk waved back, while Keith followed more slowly, not all too keen on socialization. He sighed.

 

“‘Sup, Lance!” The huge teen pulled the other into a giant hug. “Long time no see!” As Lance’s heels hit the ground, Hunk turned to take in Keith. “And… you must be Keith! Heard a lot about you.”

 

“Y-yeah. Likewise,” Keith muttered, eyeing Lance suspiciously. ‘ _Heard a lot about you’?_

 

“Alright, alright--So Hunk, buddy,” Lance swung an arm around the taller teen, causing Hunk to have to lean downwards at an odd angle. “Pal. Amigo. Compadre--”

 

“ _Lance_.”

 

“So, this is the stray I picked up, Keith.”

 

“I’m not a stray.” Keith crossed his arms, glowering slightly.

 

“He showed me something super awesome today; you need to see it. In the forest, there’s this huge--”

 

“Lance!” Keith marched up, fists clenched at his sides. He glanced around the neighborhood. “Shut up! Be quiet about it, I don’t want--”

 

“Want what? Hunk, a totally awesome and cool person to hear about it, who also happens to be my bestest bud in the entire world?” Hunk looked between the both of them, frowning ever so slightly, his eyebrow raised.

 

“That’s not-- _bestest_ isn’t even a damn word!”

 

“So what? It’s not like anyone’s around to hear anything!”

 

“I’m just--” Keith ran a hand through his hair, gritting his teeth. “It took me a long time to find that place, so _don’t run your mouth._ ”

 

“Uh, guys--” Hunk hesitated as both pairs of eyes turned to him. “Well, like--if this is a big deal, I might not want to hear about it. Especially if it’s like. Illegal. Criminal. In fact, if it is, don’t tell me--”

 

“It’s not criminal, we just went into the forest and found this really awesome--”

 

“Is there any place we can go that _isn’t_ out in the open?” Lance all but stuck his tongue out at Keith for being interrupted.

 

“Dude, you’re totally being paranoid for no reason--” Keith took Lance’s collar and tugged him down, so their faces were inches apart.

 

“Listen. I know you may think this is just a cool plaything to throw around and boast about, but don’t make me regret showing you.” At this, Lance shut up. “I’ve dug around in some files and the web, and trust me, whatever that was, it’s _not_ something to blab into the open.” Lance stopped short, watching the other boy closely. Despite still being aggressive about telling him off, Keith was also serious about it. He didn’t really understand why the other boy was so defensive about this, but figured he must have a reason...

 

“If we really need to, we can go to my house?” Keith dropped Lance’s jacket, taking a step backwards. He looked off to the side while Lance shot a huge grin at Hunk.

 

“Yeah! That sounds like a good idea.”

 

{--+--}

 

Keith was beginning to feel very out of place. Lance and Hunk just kept talking and _talking,_ and it’s not like he was completely antisocial--he just couldn’t get a word in edgewise. And then, it’s not like he knew what to say, anyway. So they walked ahead, and Keith followed, deep in thought.

 

“So, then--do you know what Arei did?”

 

“No, Hunk--damnit, tell me already!”

 

“She took the crab and _shoved_ it down the front of his pants! Can you believe it? I mean, I know she was angry--but--” Lance threw his head back and howled with laugher, as Hunk whispered what happened after the crab was shoved into pants. Keith sighed. Lance was so noisy.

 

“You--what’d your brother do, then?”

 

“Oh yeah, get this--he _replaced her toner with actual dye!_ She has red hair now!”

 

“Red? _Arei?_ Red Hair?”

 

“Yep!”

 

“Oh my god. Did Dez die?”

 

“Just about. My mom stopped them both. My sister got her car use restricted and my brother can’t play any more videogames for the time being.” Lance had to grab onto Hunk’s shoulder for support while he wheezed, but Hunk just looked mildly concerned about his siblings. Keith briefly wondered how these two became friends. What is it… opposites attract, they say?

 

“Jesus! What are they, 12?”

 

“Oh, come _on_ Lance, like you’re one to talk.”

 

“Hey!”

 

The two of them began to push and shove each other on the sidewalk, and despite himself, Keith thought it was pretty funny. Once Hunk bumped Lance really hard into the wall of a building, they stopped; Lance brushing himself off and laughing again while Hunk apologized profusely.

 

The group slowed as they came across a cute little house, the front yard nicely landscaped and the door painted a very vibrant purple. Small flowers dotted the space around the sidewalk, and the grass was very, very green. Overall, the house was very well presented. It almost seemed to be one of the ones you saw on the front of an architecture design magazine, something that could be labelled ' _This year's most beautiful houses!'_ or something.

 

“Man, it feels like I haven’t been here in aaages…” Lance caught sight of a short woman carrying in a bunch of groceries from a minivan; and he waved. “Hello, Mrs. Bello!” The woman stopped short, squinting in their direction, and then lighting up when she caught sight of Lance. She motioned them to come closer, the grocery bags swinging on her arms as she did so.

 

Keith hesitated for a brief time as Lance kept walking, and Hunk looked back, noticing.

 

“It’s alright, dude; my mom’s cool. Any friend of Lance’s is our friend too.” He grabbed the rest of the grocery bags in the open car, and then headed inside.

 

A _friend?_ Was that what he was to Lance?

 

He sighed, pushing the thought away for one of the nights he couldn’t sleep, and stepped over the threshold of Hunk’s home.

 

Hunk had two older siblings; a sister in college, working to be a neurosurgeon, and a brother who worked at a local car repair shop. His sister was sitting on the couch as they walked in, and gasped as she saw them.

 

“Hunk! No, you brought friends?” She immediately made to cover her hair, which was pulled back into a ponytail. Lance’s mouth dropped open, and he pointed a shaky finger at her.

 

“Arei? Your _hair!”_

 

“Lance, you heard about this on the walk here?” Keith came up from behind him.

 

“Yeah but--It’s just--so _red,”_ Lance continued to stare, while Arei jumped from the couch.

 

“I know it’s red. I’m trying to fix it! You can blame that dumbass upstairs--” A sharp remark from her mother, and she was groaning. “Well, that’s what Dez is. I can say what I want after he’s done _this.”_

 

Keith really didn’t understand why she was throwing a big fit; to him it looked good. Yeah, it was a bit uneven in places, but if she fixed the color, there wouldn’t be a problem. He’d thought about coloring his hair before--in fact, at one point, he tried to bleach it. He doesn’t talk about that though. Hunk led them through to the kitchen, where his mom was preparing some food.

 

“Mom, we’re gonna be in my room.” She waved him off.

 

His room was cluttered; but it was clean. Cleaner than even Lance’s, which didn’t have much in it; but that was kinda a given, since Lance was a messy individual. In more ways than one.

 

“Alright, so--” Lance began, right after they had walked in the door. Keith sighed.

 

“I should probably explain,” he said, sitting on the floor as Hunk took the computer chair, and Lance took a spot on the bed.

 

“What? No, I can totally explain. You don’t need to--”

 

“Where was it in the forest?”

 

“Uh, it was _deep_ in the forest--”

 

“What’s the name of the robot?”

 

“ _Uh--_ It starts with--a P? _”_

 

“How old does it look to be?”

 

“That’s unreasonable--”

  

“Let _me_ explain, since I showed it to you anyway,” Keith crossed his arms, looking straight at Lance’s pouty frown.

 

“ _Fine_.” While Lance looked away, Hunk laughed softly, his mouth twitching into a crooked smile.

 

“So, basically, earlier today Lance and I went into the forest near the Castle of Lions. There’s a... “ he stopped, suddenly thinking about how crazy it sounded.

 

“It’s a huge alien spaceship or something,” Lance burst out. “It apparently has a huge robotic lion of some sort inside?” Keith nodded.

 

“Yeah, basically. The lion that’s housed inside the Castle is one part of a giant mechanical thing called Voltron. I don’t really know why it’s there or what its purpose is, but…” He shrugged. “It’s been in that place for at least a couple thousand years; the trees are thick and overgrown around it and it’s been embedded into the rock.”

 

“So like, basically what you’re saying is that you’ve stumbled upon a huge government conspiracy? Like, CIA level stuff?” Hunk’s gaze flickered between the two of them, his eyebrows furrowed in disbelief.

 

“Well, uh. Not really,” Keith shifted slightly, leaning his chin on his hand. “They don’t know about it. So it’s not like they can sanction something into confidential information when they don’t know what they’re disclosing.”

 

“Oh.” Hunk frowned down at the floor for a bit, thinking. “So.. It’s basically that legend they told us about in middle school?”

 

“That’s what I said, too!” Lance took a big breath, stretching. “They used to have a ton of researchers all head to the Forest of Lions, exploring the multiple ruins and runes there but could never actually decipher anything.”

 

“Yeah, but that’s just it. They don’t know what it says, just the pictures and stuff. They don’t even know about that place I found. I looked into it. They abandoned their research about fifty years ago, and since then everything's just faded into a rumor you hear in school.”

 

“And what you’re saying is… You stumbled across this ship thing, one day? Deep in the forest, and deciphered it all, alone?” Hunk was looking at him with barely disguised awe, mouth slightly parted; but that didn’t bother him as much as him mentioning _alone._ Keith avoided his gaze as the word bounced around his head.

 

“Yeah. Yeah, I did.”

 

“How?”

 

He frowned at that question, wondering if he should tell them about the dreams and the sleepless nights, and the years of research.

 

“I found a shack out there with a bunch of the previous files already, and… well, I built on it.” Keith shrugged. Lance and Hunk seemed to accept this answer, and silence filled the space between them.

 

“So, then… what now?”

 

“I guess we just… keep the secret?”

 

“Yeah--that’s the other thing. Don’t tell people. I’ve managed to not tell anyone and keep it under the radar, so don’t do anything stupid about this.” Keith glared hard at the two of them, and they nodded.

 

Lance even emphasized this by zipping his mouth shut, and tossing the ‘key’ behind him. Keith rolled his eyes at that, but as long as Lance actually took that action to heart, he guessed it could be tolerated.

 

{--+--}

 

They had messed around after that, throwing around theories about alien life, which was mostly just Keith and Hunk talking actual facts and research, and Lance asking things like;

 

“Hey guys do you think aliens use sporks?”

 

“What!” Hunk sat straight up in the chair, startling Keith, whose eyes shot up from the magazine he was reading. It was an autoparts catalog. “Of course they do!”

 

“Like, what if they don’t _eat_ though? Or like, what if they eat with their hands?”

 

“Well, if they use utensils, and are an advanced civilization, _surely_ they’d know the benefits of using a spork instead of a fork _and_ a spoon.”

 

“Dude, chill. I love sporks too but they’re not that great--” Lance was cut off as Hunk scoffed.

 

“You… you call yourself my _friend?_ ” He swivelled around in his chair, turning to his desk and laying head down. “I can’t believe this…”

 

“Uh,” Lance said, eloquently, before looking at Keith, who just shrugged.

 

After that, Lance had to win Hunk’s friendship back by promising to bring him some of his mom’s alfajores and flan, the next time she made any. Keith perked up at this, wondering just what was so good about these new food items.

 

“You better not eat any on the way here, either! I’ll _know,”_ Hunk yelled, waving them off from his front door. Lance sighed, rolling his eyes.

 

“Yeah, yeah… I’ll talk to ya later!”

 

Lance and Keith started the trek back, watching the neighborhood slowly descend into twilight. Keith was quiet as Lance led them block to block, glancing over every once and awhile at him to make sure he was still there.

 

“Keith.”

 

He gave a noncommittal grunt.

 

“Maybe we should go see if those guys are hanging around your house anymore. You live near here right?” Keith stopped short, looking up from his phone to Lance. Lance couldn’t read his expression.

 

“Yeah, it’s this way.” Keith crossed the street, and Lance followed quickly. It didn’t take them long at all to get there; and Keith remarked under his breath about being closer than he realized.

 

The row of houses was empty; no weird-looking cars or shady people standing out in the front of his apartment. He took a few quick glances, and then dashed to his front door; deftly fitting the key in the slot and smiling as it clicked open.

 

“Come on.” Keith motioned for Lance to go in, and so he did.

 

“Wow. This apartment… is pretty nice.” It was mostly barren, and overall small; but it still had a nice atmosphere to it--a lot like Keith’s shack. Too bad it didn't have any black paint or weird, spindly contraptions--Lance was really invested in the idea of Keith being goth. You know, the whole I'm-a-vampire-watch-out-rawr shit. So he could make fun of it. Needless to say, the lack of embarrassing and weird interior decorations left Lance sadly out of ammo for his next big win, so he followed Keith around quietly.

 

Keith inspected his home; nothing seemed to be disturbed near the door, and it didn’t seem that gang forced an entry. Everything seemed to be in place, exactly as he had left it.

 

He walked into the kitchen, immediately running up to his shelf of plants and filling up a cup to water them with. Many of them were wilting, and he felt a twinge of sadness at that.

 

“Woah, you didn’t strike me as having a green thumb.” Keith jumped as Lance came to stand beside him, very briefly sending him a dirty look. He had forgotten he wasn’t alone.

 

“I like to take care of plants. They’re… well, Pidge started it when he gave me a cactus. And…” He gestured vaguely to the shelf of plants. Lance smiled, looking down at each individual blossom.

 

“...That’s kinda cute,” he murmured, looking back down the row. He opened his mouth to say something, glancing back to Keith, but paused when he saw the other boy’s face growing red. He seemed to be trying to hide it with his hand. The sight set Lance’s pulse sprinting in his wrist. “Uh--Is there something… ?”

 

“N-no,” Keith coughed, turning and walking away. “Forget about it.” Lance frowned slightly, then realized what he had said. He cursed under his breath, feeling his own ears grow hot.

 

Lance found Keith again up the flight of stairs in his room, digging around for something.

 

“What’re you looking for?” Keith looked up to see Lance leaning in the doorway, and it took all his self control not to roll his eyes. That pose made him look like such a tool, not that Lance didn't already reveal this when he opened his mouth, but. Keith glanced back around his room.

 

“I’m looking for my keys.”

 

“Keys? To what?”

 

Keith didn’t answer immediately, starting to rummage through the clutter on his desk. The room was significantly more messy than the rest of his house; but only on the desks and chairs. Posters and a calendar dotted the walls, and Lance paused briefly. With the lack of dark things around his kitchen, Lance had held out hope that Keith’s room was dark and emo, but it was actually pretty normal.

 

There was a sound of clinking, and then Keith turned around with a triumphant smile. Hanging from his fingertips was a raggedy key, a worn woven wrist strap dangling along with a metal cherry charm.

 

“The keys to my bike.”

 

{--+--}

 

Keith led Lance down to the garage, watching in amusement as the other boy could barely contain his excitement. When he opened the door, Lance’s eyes lit up at the old model; he dashed forward to inspect it, running his fingertips over the worn leather seat and chipping paint.

 

It would have been expensive, back when it was popular; but now it was a relic of the recent past, something that had been tossed away when the trend changed. It was in surprisingly good condition; probably some rich kid found another sportscraft to fuck around with, tossing this one in the dump.

 

But now, Lance hopped into the seat, putting his hands on the handlebars, and smiled wide at Keith. He looked like a child on Christmas day, and Keith couldn’t help but laugh.

 

“Alright, don’t get ahead of yourself.” Keith walked over, putting a hand on Lance’s chest and pushing him away from the front of the bike, swinging his leg carefully over to the other side. He could basically _feel_ Lance’s pout at having to ride passenger, but that was gone the next minute.

 

“Oh man, this is gonna be so cool!” Keith smirked at Lance’s obvious excitement. He pressed a button on his phone and the garage door began to open; Lance wiggled his knees excitedly.

 

“Okay, rule time.” Lance groaned. “Number One: Lean when I lean. It’ll be pretty easy, since you’ll be able to feel how my body shifts. Number Two: do _not_ make any wild movements, this bike is _old_ and also it’s annoying. And finally, Rule Number Three;” Keith turned back, unable to hide the wicked grin on his face. “Don’t scream bloody murder.”

 

He turned the key and reached backwards to pull Lance’s wrists forward, causing the other boy to yelp and sit flush behind Keith. He heard Lance sputter a bit, and was hesitant to grab on, but when Keith turned on the engine and the machine began to float, Lance latched onto him.

 

He slowly maneuvered into the street, closing the garage again. Checking once more to make sure everything that was in danger of flying out was secure, he began to put on speed. Lance gripped him tighter.

 

Keith headed west; relaxing at the familiar sensation of the wind around him. It had been a while since he’d taken the bike for a spin. He was glad that gang hadn’t broken in and wrecked the bike.

 

Lance was quiet for once, occupied instead by the experience. Keith hummed, taking the bike through a long, softly curved road. He jumped slightly as Lance’s chin rested on his shoulder, glancing sideways to see a mop of short brown hair in his peripheral. It tickled his cheek.

 

All at once, Keith became acutely aware of how _close_ Lance was to him; of how hot his skin was where they were touching. He felt Lance’s fingers shift, gripping his wrists as he leaned even farther forward into Keith. It was maddening, to say the least.

 

“Alright, get ready,” Keith said, turning the bike to take an exit onto a backroad. Lance picked up his head, narrowing his eyes slightly at the other.

 

“The desert?”

 

“Shut up, you’ll catch bugs.”

 

Lance is surprisingly quiet for most of the ride, until Keith runs right off the road into the dry grass and dirt. The sudden change in scenery sent a slight thrill through him. God, it felt like forever since he’s had a good, satisfying ride.

 

“Hey! Hey, I get that you’re like, a hotshot and all that, blah blah blah, but seriously what the hell are you--” He stopped suddenly, gagging and choking. Keith smirked as Lance moved a hand to wipe at his mouth.

 

“I told you you’d catch bugs”

 

“...Fuck off.”

 

“Anyway, hold on tight.” Keith sped up, smile growing as he felt Lance do just that. He began to mutter about hopping on some wild asshole’s bike, just to get himself killed or something like that, but Keith barely paid it any mind.

 

They flew over the ground, the sparse grass and boulders giving way to dry, cracked earth. It grew uneven fast, and soon Keith was banking over the rises and swerving to avoid the boulders. Lance’s knuckles were white with strain, making it hard for Keith to breathe; he moved a hand from the handlebars to pry at Lance’s grip, but Lance just slipped into spanish. It sounded like he was talking a million miles per hour.

 

“Wait--Wait, wait, wait! Keith, is that--that better not be a cliff! Dios mio--Keith, I’m sorry but I do _not_ want to partake in a double suicide with you, I mean you’re great and all that but honestly--mierda--” His words grew increasingly littered with spanish, and the closer they got to the drop off, the more hysteric he got.

 

Keith let out a peal of laughter as the bike shot off into the open air, but that was soon drowned out by Lance’s scream. He tucked his forehead into Keith’s shoulder and his hold forced the air from Keith’s lungs; he had to elbow his companion in order to breathe again. He huffed in annoyance as Lance started screaming right into his ear as he picked up his head; Keith was definitely going to have bad hearing for the next couple days.

 

“No! Dios mio, lo siento mama--Oh dios, voy a morir! Fuck--”

 

Lance continued his tirade as they fell, and Keith took a brief moment to close his eyes and feel the wind in his hair--the way it cleared his face, the weightlessness of the moment, the absolute giddiness he felt thrumming through his pulse. When he opened his eyes, the setting sun was directly in front of him, and he felt himself smiling.

 

Keith turned on the thrusters at the last moment, and the bike jerked jarringly as it rose once more, speeding onwards into the dusk. Lance grumbled about something again in spanish as Keith laughed, but decided that Lance couldn’t have hated that thrill too much, because he rested his chin back onto Keith’s shoulder.

 

The drive was much more tame after that; Keith opted for the scenic route, bike humming as the sky grew a brilliant shade of red and yellow and orange. He could feel Lance’s head turn and watch the sun sink; and they dissolved into silence.

 

Eventually, they headed back, and as soon as Keith was on a paved road again, Lance relaxed considerably.

 

“I swear, if you ever pull that shit again, I’m gonna kill you,” he rasped, and Keith just turned towards him and grinned.

 

“You broke Rule Number 3,” he said instead. “That means you can’t pilot my bike.”

 

“H-Hey! That’s no fair! Asshole, you said I could! And you didn’t even tell me you’d fling us off a 50-foot drop-off--”

 

“Hmm, but you still broke the rule.” Keith was warm, and as he brought them both closer and closer to back to his apartment, he realized something that he didn’t ever think about until now; the fact that he didn’t want to stop being around Lance.

 

That group of kids seemed to be away from his house now, and that meant his time clinging to Lance was almost to an end. On the outside, he was relieved; he didn’t much like inconveniencing others… but…

 

He found he liked the way Lance’s head rested on his shoulder, liked the way his arms were wrapped around his middle, liked the way the buzz inside his veins continued, even after the rush of adrenaline from the bike tricks ended.

 

All at once, he realized he was entirely and thoroughly fucked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OHOOHOOHOO....
> 
> Okay so; I'm real sorry it's been a _long _time since I updated this, I was distracted. And don't expect this to update for at least another week, since I'm going on a camping trip... Rip...__
> 
> Dios mio: My god  
> Mierda: Shit  
> lo siento mama--Oh dios, voy a morir: I'm sorry mom--Oh god, I'm going to die


	6. Well, Shit.

“So, uh…” Lance hopped off the hoverbike, stumbling a ways away and turning to watch Keith. “I’ll… see you later?” Keith blinked, looking back to his bike, and then back at Lance. Lance, who was wringing his hands in front of him like some kindergartner before the first day of school, eyes open and clear but still guarded. He swallowed.

 

“Y-yeah...” Keith nodded slightly, then said, stronger; “Yeah.” Lance gave a light smile, and headed back to his house. As soon as he crossed the threshold, Keith let out a puff of air, the tension in his shoulders alleviated, but not quite gone. He revved his bike, then glided back to his apartment.

 

The sun was just a sliver above the horizon as he opened his garage and parked, and he found himself leaning heavily on the seat, still feeling like he was floating. He shook his head to clear it, and frowned as he saw a shadow of a figure move up from behind him to rest between his feet. The sound of several more scuffles caused him to tense, and just as he turned around, he caught sight of a familiar shit-eating grin, flanked by a few more people.

 

“You shouldn’t have even _looked_ at my girl, man.” Keith whipped completely around, arms coming up in front of his face, but he was too slow.

 

His left ear exploded into sound, and everything went black.

 

{--+--}

 

He coughed as he woke up, a loud ringing resounding in his head. Opening his eyes carefully, because god _damn_ his head hurt--the light that was filtering through was _bright_ \--he groaned, taking in his immediate surroundings. Easier said than done. His phone was a ways away from his face, and just seeing it from his vantage point on the floor, he knew it was more or less broken.

 

He tried to sit up, to see more of his surroundings, but gasped as the world rushed too quickly. His muscles were aching like hell, and he couldn’t even remember what happened. Breathing hard, he shifted onto his elbows and knees.

 

The ringing wouldn’t go away, and as his head cleared further, he found the source to be his phone. Well, it was his head too, but the phone was making it worse. He hastily snatched it up and pressed (what he hoped was) talk.

 

“Y--”

 

“Keith! Holy shit, where the fuck have you _been,_ man? I’ve called you like, fifty times!” For a minute as Lance continued to rant, Keith laid down on the tile. He could just make out that he was back in his kitchen, and that among his body and some blood, there was also dirt and broken pots on the floor. He didn’t look at the shelf.

 

“Lance,” he rasped. “Shut the fuck up.” He sat up, slowly this time, and must have made some kind of noise, because when Lance spoke next, his voice was laced with concern.

 

“Hey, are you okay? Did something happen?”

 

“Just fine,” he gritted out. He sighed and drew his knees up to his chest, wiping the dried blood from his nose with the back of his hand and grimacing. It was like he had just gotten hit by a 3 ton truck, going 50 on the highway. All in all, _great_. His head swiveled around to take in the damage, and he slumped as he saw the mess of plants on the floor. Pidge’s cactus had been tossed, and although the actual plant looked okay… the pot, not so much.

 

“Keith? Keith, where are you?” Lance was quiet. Keith debated on whether or not he should tell, to let Lance walk in on this mess, to let him see all of _this._ To see how far down the ladder Keith really, truly had fallen.

 

“I’m in my kitchen,” he finally sighed, running an aching hand through his hair.

 

“I’m coming,” Lance murmured, and the line went dead. Keith took the phone from his ear as it started to beep, and examined the cracks that scattered the surface like a spiderweb.

 

{--+--}

 

Lance didn’t know what the hell he had been expecting, but it wasn’t this. He wasn’t prepared for the scene that played out before him, panting and sweaty from his sprint over; it looked like a tornado had absolutely trashed the house. If Lance hadn’t known any better… that’s honestly what he thought had happened.

 

“Keith?”

 

The door from the garage into the kitchen was slightly ajar, and he pushed it hesitantly open, a creep running through his skin at how much it sounded like that one part in horror movies, when one of the characters walks in on something absolutely horrible. He tried to swallow the images popping up of Keith being dead or something, because he had talked to the guy like five minutes ago. His nerves were fried--but, well. Lance had always had a particularly creative imagination. He almost laughed at himself for likening this situation to when he had found Keith in the shack.

 

Keith was sitting with his back to the door, in the middle of absolute sabotage. The kitchen was ruined. The shelf where the plants had been, sitting healthy and pretty just the night before, was toppled to the ground, dirt and pots spread out along the entirety of the room. Lance just gaped.

 

“Keith,” he breathed, and ran up, pulling the other boy into a hug. Keith seemed to start at the sudden contact, then let out a pained groan. “Oh, shit--sorry--” He quickly let go, looking over Keith’s shoulder to see that he had taken a cactus into his hand, fingers caging protectively around it.

 

“Lance, all my plants are going to die,” he said softly. He saw Keith run a tentative thumb over the tiny, prickly plant.

 

“Do you have plastic cups?” Keith shook his head. “Anything you’re willing to sacrifice for the use of a pot?” Keith gestured vaguely to the cabinets, some of which were open. Lance quickly looked through all of them, gathering a plethora of mismatched bowls and cups and mugs. He began to pile them around Keith, who then began to take handfuls of dirt and replant. Keith made several worrying noises as he moved around, working in a certain slowness that was definitely troubling.

 

Lance didn’t want to do anything wrong and end up killing one of them, so he just brushed carefully through the mess of dirt, gathering the roots and stalks and leaves and handing them to Keith. That way, Keith didn’t have to shift too much, and Lance could be helpful.

 

He certainly didn’t miss the stiffness in Keith’s posture, or the limited range of motion.

 

He absolutely did not miss the spattering of bruises that marred Keith’s arms and legs--and face.

 

And when Keith was done, he counted the plants carefully, making sure he didn’t miss any one. He lined them up in front of him, gazing sadly over the slightly wilted leaves and falling blossoms. Lance heaved Keith up carefully, slinging his arm around and supporting his waist. Keith let out another huff, and then a grunt.

 

“You good?”

 

“Yeah, you know. Just got hit by a truck. S’fine.” Lance frowned at that.

 

“Should I take you to the hospital?” He watched Keith bite his lip, shaking his head slightly.

 

“...Don’t have money for it.”

 

“Okay, then. How about this: Do you _need_ to go to the hospital?” Keith’s grimace deepened.

 

“N--” Lance poked a finger into Keith’s side, earning a pained squeak. Then, “... maybe.”

 

Lance dialed up his mother, speaking in quick, rushed spanish. Keith’s head brushed against his shoulder, and in a matter of minutes, they were in the car, headed to the nearest facility.

 

{--+--}

 

“Two broken ribs, a concussion, and multiple contusions on his face, arms... “ The doctor pursed his lips, frowning as he flipped a sheet. “Everywhere, basically,” he amended. Lance sighed, looking over to where Keith slept in the other room, letting the doctor’s drone turn into background noise. It had literally only been a day, and he finds Keith like _this._

 

He tries not to berate himself for letting Keith go home, tries not to feel responsible, tries to swallow the mounting anger inside him at the people who did this. Lance _tries,_ and fails _._

 

“Thank you, Dr. Alfor,” his mother says. He nods, checking back into the conversation.

 

“Now, I understand the patient has no immediate family in the area?” When Lance’s mother confirms, he sighs. “I also understand you have been close to this boy for quite a while, and that he even lived by himself before now?”

 

“Sir… Keith’s family is in Korea.” Lance frowned. “He turned 18, so he’s been on his own--”

 

“Yes. Is there any way we can contact them?” Doctor Alfor looked from Lance to his mother, who both shook their heads.

 

“Even if there were, sir… I doubt they speak English.” Lance’s mom clasped her hands, sighing.

 

“The only one who knows any of their contact info is Keith.”

 

“Well, _legally,_ I can’t disclose any other information if you’re not family until--”

 

“Keith _is_ family,” Lance all but spat, recovering a moment later and blinking sheepishly at Alfor. “Uh, sorry, sir--” The doctor held up a hand and shook his head.

 

“I perfectly understand that, but this information is vital to his relatives as well. And as I was going to say, legally, the hospital would need to notify his _relatives_ first and work out payment. But... that can come at a later time.”

 

“...Oh.” Lance glanced at his mom, who shot him back a smile. “Th-thank you, sir.” He nodded and walked away, and Mrs. Diaz sighed. When they were alone, she took Lance in her arms and hugged him tight. At first, he stiffened, but then relaxed, letting out a breath into her shoulder.

 

“I have to go back to the kids now; Mrs. Bello and Arei are looking after them at the moment,” she whispered, running a hand in Lance’s hair. She shifted, holding him out at arm's length, and smiled at him. It was a heart-wrenching smile, one that was wide and warm, but carried a trace of sadness. “I’m so proud of you, cariño.” Lance gave a small smile back as she cupped his cheeks. “I’ll be back later, with food; just text me if you want anything, okay?”

 

She squeezed Lance’s shoulder as she left, and Lance moved into Keith’s room, watching the monitor beep in time with the shallow rise and fall of his chest. He took Keith’s hand in his, the one without all the needles and tubes, and turned it over in his fingers. The knuckles were perfectly clean; and of course they had been under his gloves, but… wouldn’t his hand be a bit more beat up if he had fought back? Lance frowned.

 

Keith looked worse for wear. His face was still pretty, sure; but his left cheek was purple and there was still a bit of blood caked in his nose. Lance laid his head down on the bed, shoving everything out of his mind--the hospital, contacting Keith’s family, pressing charges--and closed his eyes, letting even the beep of the heart monitor fade away.

 

{--+--}

 

Opening his eyes felt like prying a burnt pancake from an ungreased griddle. A groan escaped Keith, and he looked to the side to see Lance, asleep, his head resting on the bed, their hands intertwined. Right, he was at the hospital. He sighed as he looked around at the many devices connected to him. He hated the hospital.

 

Keith watched Lance a little while longer before leaning forward, but immediately stopped at a stab of pain down his left side. He sucked in air, then fell back, rattling the cot. Lance shot up.

 

“Wha--Where--Keith?” Lance’s attention was immediately diverted. “Are you okay? How do you feel?”

 

“The painkillers are wearing off,” he offered. Lance nodded.

 

“It’s most likely just about time for another dose.” Lance didn’t seem to notice their handhold, so Keith just let it be. He didn’t mind it; it was warm, and the weight felt comforting. Lance yawned. “So what happened, anyway?” Keith worried his lip, trying to think through the haze in his mind. .

 

“Uh, okay. So, I took you home, and then went back to my house… and then I just parked my bike, and they were right there.” He frowned, looking anywhere but Lance’s face.

 

“You mean that gang from before? They just showed up?”

 

“I think they were waiting.”

 

“Oh.” Lance paused, then seemed to realize they were still holding hands. Keith saw him swallow thickly, and felt a light squeeze from Lance’s grip. “Did… were you able to fight back?” Keith grit his teeth, squeezing back.

 

“...No,” he murmured. Lance let out a breath, and nodded.

 

“That… that makes it easier if we’re going to press charges,” he said. Keith’s head snapped up.

 

“Lance--No.”

 

“What?” His face scrunched up. “Why?”

 

“Because--” Keith ran the hand Lance wasn’t holding through his hair. He winced slightly at the soreness, and the tug of the IV needles attached to the wires. “Because, that might pull up some legal stuff and I just don’t want to deal with it.” He sighed.

 

“Okay.” Lance licked his lips, trying to cover up his dissatisfaction. “Okay.”

 

“Uh, where’s my phone?” Lance nodded, pulling it out of his pocket and handing it to Keith.

 

“I hope you don’t mind, I told Shiro and PIdge what happened.” Keith was somewhat mortified at that, but. If something happened to Lance, he probably would have told Hunk. “You should probably call them just to--”

 

“Hello, Mister Chang?” A nurse walked in with a tray of food, smiling warmly. “I have your breakfast and medicine.” Lance leaned away, having to untangle their fingers, and Keith tried not to frown at the loss of contact.

 

The nurse placed the food in front of him, and Keith’s face fell at the bland display of nutrition. She told him to take all the pills, and that Doctor Alfor would be back soon to check fluids and whether or not he finished his meal. It was quiet when she left, Lance content with watching Keith pick at what was most likely mashed potatoes.

 

“Lance, are you going to eat something?” Lance jolted a bit, then nodded. All at once, he suddenly realized how hungry he was.

 

“Uh, yeah.” Didn’t his mom say she was going to come back with food or something? But then again, he had unknowingly stayed the night here, so… He checked his phone. Sure enough, he had several calls from his mom, and a few texts from Hunk.

 

>>>From: Hunk [11:13 pm]

Yo dude your mom told me everything hope you’re okay and your boyfriend is doing well

 

>>>From: Hunk [11:44 pm]

You’re probably asleep but I’ll stop by the hospital tomorrow morning and bring a lotta food

 

He ignored Hunk’s use of _boyfriend,_ it _obviously_ being a title for something Keith was _not_ , and would never be. Probably. Lance shot back a quick reply, and then dialed his mother.

 

“Hey, mom. Sorry I didn’t answer earlier.”

 

“Ah, don’t worry. I figured you had fallen asleep. How is he?” Lance spared a glance at Keith, who was having a staring contest with some yogurt. He tested a small spoonful into his mouth, made a face, and then pushed the container away.

 

“He’s doing alright. It seems he just woke up from when he passed out in the car.”

 

“That’s good to hear. Honey, I have to go--I’ve called you out of school, but please, don’t miss too much, okay? Hunk should be coming to the hospital soon as well.”

 

“Alright. I’ll talk to you later.”

 

“Te amo, mi hijo.”

 

“Te amo,” he said, smiling against his phone. He waited for the line to click dead before he hung up. Lance straightened as he caught Keith glancing at him intensely, and cleared his throat, “Hunk is gonna be over soon with some food and stuff.”

 

“Sounds good to me.” Keith speared a broccoli with his fork.

 

They sat in lazy silence, only broken by Keith’s slow and suspicious chewing--”Seriously, I’m sure this stuff is cardboard. Tastes like it.”--so they both could hear Hunk approaching. And arrive he did, after Lance waiting 23 seconds in anticipation after first recognizing that familiar smack of flip flops down the hall.

 

“Hey guys. What’s up?” Hunk bore an armful of food, and Lance’s stomach growled at the sight of it.

 

“Mmm, _yes._ Hunk, please tell me you made that.” He had to check himself before he started drooling.

 

“I made _most_ of it. The other half was your mom.” Lance was all too eager to hop up and help Hunk with placing the food down. “How’re you doing, Keith?”

 

“I’m good. A bit pissed at the situation, I guess, but…” he shrugged, eyeing the bags Lance was looking through. “Do… do you think they’ll let me… ?

 

“I dunno, but if you want some, you better hurry because Lance is gonna eat it all.”

 

“Lance, give me some of the--”

 

“No!” He stooped over it protectively, gaze flicking back and forth from Keith to Hunk. There was a brief period of time where everything was silent, and then Hunk drew himself up to his full weight.

 

“Lance McClain Diaz, you _will_ share. I made this food with _love,_ and you must spread it far and wide.” Lance hissed slightly, stealing a few containers and stuffing them into his arms.

 

“No, Hunk. Your love is only for _me!_ ” Lance pointed at Keith, a small bag of cheetos in his hand. “You will get _none_ of this, you--”

 

Keith raised and eyebrow, in all honesty unsure if Lance was gonna share or not.  “Come _on,_ I let you ride on my _bike--”_

 

 _“_ And then you flew us over an 80 ft cliff--”

 

“OK, that number got bigger--it _totally_ wasn’t that high--”

 

“It sure as hell _felt_ like it, you damn kamikaze.” Hunk sighed, eyes flicking between the two of them.

 

“Guys--”

 

“Well it doesn’t even matter anyway because you broke rule number 3 and made my ears ring really bad. Seriously, I didn’t expect you to have a high pitched scream--”

 

“You!” Lance’s face grew red with hysteria. “You were gonna kill us!”

 

“I was _not!_  I take that route all the time--”

 

“Oh, _sure--_ You could’ve at least _warned_ me!” Keith crossed his arms, smirking.

 

“What’s the fun in that?”

“You!” Lance huffed, and opened his mouth to utter some retort, but Hunk popped a snickers bar into his open mouth, effectively shutting Lance up. He frowned as he chewed.

 

“You’re not you when you’re hungry,” Hunk said simply, and Keith burst out laughing. The monitors were beeping at an accelerated rate as he struggled to keep up with breathing, and soon enough Lance and Hunk joined him. Keith’s laugh was infectious, and Lance found himself trying to quiet down so he could hear it more clearly.

 

“God, Lance. Just give me some damn food,” Keith wheezed, holding out his hand. The snickers hung at an angle from his mouth, and Lance grumbled around it, taking a plastic container and giving it to him.

 

“I swear,” Hunk chuckled, opening some cookies, “you two fight like an old married couple.”

 

They fell into a lull of silence as they passed out the food; Lance’s mom had made some ‘healthy’ choices for Keith, leaving a note on one of the containers that said:

 

_‘Hope you feel better, Keith! Thank you for taking a look at my car the other day, it runs a lot smoother, I think. That hospital food can’t be too enticing, so have some of this, hun._

_-Mrs. Diaz’_

 

The ‘Keith Kibble’ as Lance called it, included some rice, broccoli, and baked potatoes. He ate it gratefully, excited to taste something other than his own blood, dirt, or the cardboard the hospital passed off as food. Hunk had brought with him his signature Mac n’ Cheese, which was _amazing._ He had also made some cookies and fried plantains, the latter of which Hunk had to pry out of Lance’s hands to give Keith.

 

Of course, it was in the middle of this that Dr. Alfor walked in. He took one look at the teenagers stuffing their faces, and smiled.

 

“I see you have quite the friends here, Mr. Chang.”

 

“Ah... “ Keith still couldn’t get used to the use of the word ‘friend’ to describe Lance and Hunk. It was kinda weird thinking that them meeting had really just been a fluke, and yet, he was enjoying himself.. “Well, y’know…” He gestured vaguely around him.

 

“I hope you haven’t been eating too much sugar.” Keith shot Lance and Hunk a look, and Lance snickered.

 

“Actually, uh, Doctor, Sir--These cookies are only for me and Lance. So… he actually didn’t have any sugar.” Hunk smiled reassuringly, and Keith flashed one back.

 

“That’s good to hear,” Dr. Alfor said. He pulled on some gloves, walking over to examine what Keith had eaten and ask him how he was doing. Hunk and Lance watched as he pulled out a light and shined it in his eyes, checking the monitors and fluid, asking Keith what hurt as he pressed the skin on his arms and torso. He nodded, pulling back and writing a few things on a clipboard.

 

“Alright. So everything seems to be going smoothly; I’d advise you to stay away from using technology for extended periods of time, of course. Sunglasses should be worn in bright light. The bruises on your body will heal in good time; none of your other rib bones seem to be broken except for two on your left side. It’s less severe; one is cracked a good bit, the other is broken completely. Nowhere near your heart. Unfortunately, there’s really nothing we can do about that except give you painkillers and make sure you’re breathing isn’t too shallow.” Alfor took a deep breath, flipping again through the papers.

 

“Now, I’d like to discuss the boring part. I’d like to know more about your family in Korea and, essentially, who’s responsible for you and whose pocket the bill will be put in.” The doctor’s mouth turned upwards slightly, but it wasn’t quite a smile. It was a practised, harbinger of bad news expression. Brows drawn slightly together, face almost apologetic.

 

“Oh, right.” Keith sighed. This was going to get complicated. “Well, I can call them and stuff, but I’d like to see the amount. I might be able to use our joint account--”

 

“We’d still need guardian consent and approval.” Keith nodded, then glanced at the clock.

 

“The part of Korea my Aunt lives in is in early morning right now, so I’d have to call later tonight.”

 

“Then I’ll process the information for you and get you an estimate of the cost.” He flipped through the clipboard again. “If you’re healing is on track for the next two days, I’ll discharge you on the third.” Keith grimaced, but agreed none the less. He hated hospitals. They always tried to keep you for more money, and even though Alfor seemed like he had the best intentions in mind, he still felt an impatience settle in his bones. Alfor finished his evaluation, then walked out.

 

“Woah, dude. I didn’t know you had family in Korea.”

 

“Well, I mean… I’ve only known you for like, a day, Hunk.” Keith gave him a good-natured smile.

 

“True,” was all he said, as he munched on a cookie. “So, tell me what happened to you, again? And what’s this about a hoverbike?”

 

They sat and talked for a good few hours, until Hunk had to leave. He gathered up the mostly empty containers, giving Lance and Keith the leftovers to eat later. As he ducked out, Lance’s mom came in. She was accompanied by Pierce and Nancy, who cast suspicious or downright uncaring glances toward him. She was only there for a half hour, getting an update on Keith’s condition and checking in about the paperwork.

 

“Well, dear… If worse comes to worst, I can chip in a bit with the bill.” Keith bolted upright too quickly, grunting at the effort but still surprised.

 

“I--Uh, I appreciate the sentiment, Mrs. Diaz--really, I do--But I don’t think--”

 

“Hun, if there’s a problem, you might need the support.” She smiled sadly, the words ‘ _from an adult’_ hanging thickly in the air between them; unspoken, but still a punch in the gut. Keith looked away, frowning at the IV that was connected into his hand.

 

“I… Thank you,” he had said quietly, throat constricting as the weight of that hit him. It was unheard of--a mother of 6, already laden with the burdens from her own life, reaching out to help someone like him. They’ve only known one another for a short time, and even though it felt like Keith’s known Lance for years--it came down the fact that it’s only been a few days.  Keith bowed slightly under her gaze, and she walked over to the cot to run a hand comfortingly across his shoulder, and took his good hand in both of hers.

 

“You’re an honorary Diaz,” she said softly, and Keith raised his chin to meet her eyes. Her gaze was as deep as Lance’s, as encompassing as the sea. “I meant that when I said it, Keith. And I know what you may be thinking; it’s true I haven’t known you for a long amount of time, and therefore this must be a bad decision, but I assure you, I make this in full confidence.” He blinked, trying to will away the tears that were welling up--he blamed it on the new dose of painkillers, making him over-emotional--and she brought him into a loose hug.

 

“Unfortunate things happen to the wrong people, at the wrong times.” She spoke in a low tone to Lance on her way out, not paying Lance’s siblings any mind. He was too choked up to notice Lance move towards him, startling slightly when a hand wrapped lightly around his wrist. Keith watched Lance slowly maneuver his hand so it was palm up inside his own, running his thumbs over the callouses and knuckles.

 

“Y’know,” he said, after turning Keith’s hand over, “as much as I _love_ your gloves, you should take them off every once in a while.” Keith frowned, face heating up slightly, peeking through his fringe at Lance. He pursed his lips, watching the other’s irises flicker as they inspected the lighter-skinned hand below. They both jumped as Keith’s ringtone blared, and Lance reached quickly to get it.

 

“Hey,” Keith said, gulping.

 

“Keith,” Shiro said from the other end, “please.”

 

“Uh.”

 

“ _Please_ tell me you did _not_ fight that gang.” Keith glanced over at Lance. He shrugged back.

 

“I thought Lance told you everything?”

 

“All he said was that you were in a fight and were at the hospital, but were _alive._ ” Shiro sounded stressed out. Keith glared at Lance, who put his hands up in a surrender.

 

“I mean, I told him the essentials?” Lance shrugged again as Keith groaned, rubbing his temples.

 

“Okay, so--” He launched into the story, the third or fourth time he’s told it so far, and at the end, he just heard Shiro give a long, drawn out sigh.

 

“Well.. At least, if you want to press charges, you didn’t throw the first punch _or_ fight back, so--”

 

“That’s what _I_ said!” Lance interrupted from the side, and Keith sent him a glare.

 

“Shiro, you _know_ I can’t do that.”

 

“Yeah, yeah--but these guys… If I were there--”

 

“Then it’s a good thing you _aren’t._ Listen, I’m just as pissed as you are, _you_ of all people should know that--but if we instigate another incident it’ll only get worse. These guys are the type with no boundaries.” Keith ruffled his hair in frustration.

 

“Okay. Fine. But--” a muffled interaction on the other side of the line cut him off. A groan, and then he heard Shiro say something back. “I have to go. But Keith, I’m coming to visit soon. So… try not to get into even _more_ trouble, okay?” Keith snorted.

 

“Okay, _Dad._ ”

 

_“Keith.”_

 

“I’ll talk to you later, Shiro.”

 

“See you.”

 

The call ended, and Keith sent a text to Pidge, elaborating on the situation. If Shiro had been worried by Lance’s statement, Pidge must be in a similar state. He locked his phone, sighing as exhaustion overtook him.

 

“Lance, you know you can like… go home or something.” Keith looked over, but he didn’t seem to be paying attention, instead invested in a game on his phone. “Lance?” He held up a hand.

 

“Wait--I have to beat this level.” A few beeps sounded, and then Lance pumped a fist in the air. “Victory!” He cackled as he looked up, and seeing Keith’s annoyed expression, looked away briefly. “What? Did you say something?” Keith sighed.

 

“I said, you don’t have to stay here the whole damn time.”

 

“Oh, it’s alright. If I don’t I won’t be able to sleep anyway.” He paused, frowning, then a flush spread across his cheeks. “Uh--I mean, since--Like, you’re in the hospital. So it’s just different, y’know? It’s like--” Keith let out a puff of laughter, rolling his eyes.

 

“Listen, Lance. It can’t be comfortable here, either. Nothing bad’s gonna happen to me, anyway. I’m in a hospital. You should go home.” Lance crossed his arms, seeming to contemplate this really hard for a moment. Then he leaned back, fixing Keith with a knowing stare.

 

“I see how it is.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You just want to get rid of me.”

 

“What--”

 

“‘Go home, Lance.’ Well damn, maybe I _will._ ”

 

“Uh? Okay? That’s not what I meant, I mean--I hate hospitals and everything so I’m just trying to--” Despite Keith’s attempt, Lance kept rolling, getting up and dramatically wobbling to the door.

 

“Might as well have said, ‘You’re so annoying, Lance. Get out,’” He leaned against the doorway, bowing his head in his arms in mock-sadness. Keith was unimpressed.

 

“First of all, you suck at acting,” he deadpanned. “Second off, you _are_ annoying.” Lance pretended to be struck in the heart, stumbling backwards and gasping. Keith rolled his eyes.

 

“Jesus--I… I didn’t think you truly had that much animosity towards me. I genuinely thought we were bros. Amigos. True compadres--”

 

“Lance--”

 

“I mean, after we formed such a bond? What about that moment in the shack, huh? I thought we had a bonding moment--” Keith’s face heated up at the mention of that.

 

“ _Lance--_ ”

 

“I thought we had something, real. Something really, truly star-crossed. Something that transcended the comprehension of human--”

 

“Go the fuck home, Lance!”

 

Lance suddenly stood up straight, cocking his head at Keith and making finger guns as he walked backwards. He even completed it with fake blaster sounds.

 

“That’s _definitely_ not how guns sound like.”

 

“Smell ya later.” Lance spun on his heel and was gone. His phone dinged with a text from him, and Keith shook his head in exasperation. He knew Lance was just worried or whatever, but… He had to be worried in the most annoying way possible.

 

>>>From: Lance [5:04 pm]

ill be back tomorrow, but around 4 since break ends

  
Keith exhaled a breath into the hospital room, suddenly realizing how empty it was. He had grown accustomed to the constant chatter, as annoying and fucking obnoxious as it was, so now without it, the space around him seemed cold and unforgiving. Another wave of exhaustion cause him to yawn, and he didn’t give Lance’s absence much more thought as he drifted into sleep. Besides, Lance had promised he would return, and all Keith had to do was wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JESUS okay i know, it's been like two weeks. i have a really, REALLY bad habit of getting distracted and so this chapter took me a lot longer to write than I'd like to admit.
> 
> but finally, here it is! expect my updates to be within a 1-2 week period. as my college move-in date fast approaches, my life gets more and more hectic. anyway, enjoy!
> 
> it's a bit unrealistic for lance's family to help keith financially with his visit in the hospital, especially for knowing each other within a week, but hey. you know, what's wrong with a little inaccuracy here and there? let's just say lance's mom is completely happy lance is distracted by the attractive and hard-working individual whom she's basically adopted.
> 
> let's call it... her motherly intuition and instinct taking over. take in the stray, mrs. diaz. shia lebouf compels you.
> 
> **i also went through and edited the previous chapters, since my anxiety told me to. didn't change really anything, just the pace, rhythm, and cadence of some words; also grammar and stray punctuation.


	7. Pokemon Go Hard or Go Home

The next two days passed in excruciating slowness. Keith had called his Aunt back in Korea, and it just worked out that she could cover it herself with bursts of payment each month. There were no words--in English or Korean--that allowed him to express his gratitude and how bad he felt for the whole situation. That feeling just intensified as he glanced at the bill, accompanied by a lump in his throat and a wave of nausea.

 

This is mostly why he liked to just… take care of everything himself. He hated relying on people. Especially adults.

 

Lance and Hunk visited every day, after their classes were over. The majority of the time they were at Keith’s bedside was spent playing handheld videogames; Hunk was raving about that Pokemon Go game that recently just released, and of course Lance, being the supportive friend he was, downloaded it as well.

 

“Oh _Hell_ yes Team Mystic is _where it’s at!_ ” He pumped a fist in the air as he chose a team of pokemon and got down to trying to beat the gym that was situated in the hospital.

 

“Uh, Lance, you shouldn’t beat the gym. Leave it for the sick kids and stuff that can’t go around and level up.”

 

“Hunk, if you didn’t notice, the gym here is overtaken by a cp416 Marowak. Easily beaten by my Vaporeon, dubbed Blue, and it’s probably an adult who works here anyway.” Keith watched the exchange with a frown. “Plus, you probably just don’t want me to do it because it’s Instinct right now.” Hunk frowned, but was unable to tell Lance he was wrong.

 

“Wait, guys, what’s this  Pokemon Go?” His friends’ heads whipped up at his inquiry, and Lance made it no question how utterly surprised and _offended_ he was at Keith’s lack of knowledge.

 

“ _W_ _hat?_ ” Lance paused for a moment, gym battle completely forgotten, and stuck his hand out, palm up, towards Keith. “Phone. Now.” Keith’s brows scrunched up.

 

“What? I’m not giving you my phone. No way, who knows what you’ll do.”

 

“Give. Me. Your. Phone.” Lance’s eyes flicked to where it was sitting on his lap, and quickly darted in to try and grab it. Keith was faster, snatching it up before Lance’s fingers could even brush the surface. However, it was plucked from his hand by Hunk, who inspected it with barely disgusted awe.

 

“Woah, Keith! Your phone…” He turned it over, running his thumbs over the handiwork. “Who.. This is definitely not a market model.”

 

“Yeah, my friend Pidge decked it out for me--”

 

“Pidge? You mean Pidge _Gunderson?_ ” A broad, excited smile broke onto Hunk’s face.

 

“Yeah--”

 

“Oh man, we were in the same summer classes at the Academy--Like you know, those seminars they hold and you get a taste of what it’ll be like in the Garrison--And I met him! Well, it was hard _not_ to hear about him, since he was a techno-whizz--he even broke into the Garrison’s maximum security firewall to access some files. It was kept hush hush for the most part, but he was in the room next to mine and I--”

 

“Wow, you knew Pidge back then?”

 

“Yeah! Dude was super amazing with all types of technology. It’s no surprise he made _this_ too.” Hunk turned it back over to the front, where the cracks were lacing the screen. “Though it looks like it got a bit beat up.” Keith nodded.

 

“But, it still works. Trademark of the--”

 

“--Gunderson Genius,” Hunk finished for him, and they both exchanged a smile, laughing. Lance, meanwhile, was watching them, glancing at Hunk’s hands to see if he could slip in and take it. No openings. He begrudgingly looked back down at his phone, and made a strangled noise when he realized he had lost once again to Instinct.

 

“Yeah, Pidge is a great guy,” Hunk was saying. “If you want, I can take a look at this phone and see if I can replace the screen with a few spare parts at my house.”

 

“You tinker with tech too?” At this, Hunk laughed a bit nervously, bringing a hand to the nape of his neck sheepishly.

 

“Oh, no--Not to his extent anyway. I’m more of a fix-things guy. Pidge is an innovator.”

 

“Makes sense,” Keith said, taking a sip from the water cup on the stand near his cot. “I’m more of a fixer too, though my knowledge is mostly just hovercrafts and bikes and stuff.”

 

“Yeah, same;  I stick to vehicles too. Got a lot of experience in my brother’s shop.”

 

“Hey, guys--after you’re done being all geeky and whatever--let me have Keith’s phone.” Lance jerked his head up boredly, spinning the map around his Pokemon Go avatar rapidly and absentmindedly.

 

“Lance, no--I’m gonna take this home and fix it.” Hunk held it higher as Lance reached for it. He then sent Keith a glance, frowning ever so slightly. “That is, of course--if you’ll let me, Keith.”

 

“Yeah, go ahead. It’s not like I have much to do on it anyway, and I appreciate it.” Hunk lit up, smiling. A ringtone vibrated from somewhere close, and Lance reached into his pocket.

 

“Hola, mama,” Lance answered, the spanish word rolling  easily off his tongue. “No--estoy en el hospital. Si--hice lo que tu queria.” He paused as the voice on the other line explained something to him, and he frowned. “ _Que?_ Por que--un momento.” The phone switched into his other hand as Lance stood, walking out of the room and leaving Hunk and Keith to wonder what the call was about. It wasn’t long, however, and soon Lance reentered. At his expression, Keith cocked an eyebrow.

 

“Something wrong?”

 

“Yeah--It’s just a… minor thing. Mom needs me to get home.”

 

“Oh--then I’d better get going too; sorry Keith. I’ll be back tomorrow to give you back your phone, though.” Keith nodded, waving the both of them off. He leaned his head back on the headboard of the cot, groaning. His side was really killing him today, and it was all he could take to minimize the pain by taking slow, shallow breaths.

 

He pulled out a notebook that Lance had given him--”For, uh--your alien theories or whatever. I don’t know what you do in your free time… so.” Lance had also handed him a pencil and a red pen. It was just a cheap pen; one you could buy in bulk, but either way, Keith turned it over in his hands and smiled at it.

 

Keith definitely wouldn’t call himself an artist by any means--but for a long time, he would trek to that abandoned castle in the woods and draw the symbols on the wall. Eventually, he had grown tired of just the same pictures of that lion, so he took to drawing the trees and crystals, and also the way the mysterious metal of the castle poked through the rock and branches.

 

He was in the middle of detailing a flower when he heard a knock on the door, and looked up to see a very familiar face.

 

“Shiro?”

 

“Hey,” he said, striding in, and Keith smiled at him. He tucked the red pen into the notebook and set it to the side, attention now on his friend.

 

“The guys over at NASA working you too hard?” The older man laughed, white hair bobbing as he shook his head.

 

“Nah. Nothing like the guys over here put you through.” Shiro’s smile grew slightly crooked, and Keith glowered a bit. He pulled up the chair Lance had been sitting in earlier, robotic arm whirring softly as it grasped the metal. “So, tell me.” Keith couldn’t help but roll his eyes, and with a sigh, he recounted the story.

 

“So… this Lance; you took him on your bike, and after you dropped him off, you got slugged.” Keith frowned.

 

“Uh… yeah.”

 

“So…” Shiro leaned in, tilting his head slightly, and smirked. “Do you like him?” Keith’s expression deepened, then changed into disbelief, then contemplation, and finally, flushed. Shiro just laughed.

 

“Listen, Shiro. Shut up.”

 

“Aw, it’s nothing to be ashamed of, Keith. In fact, that’s kinda cute. I wanna meet him.” Keith blew a hair out of his eyes, and suddenly wished he had his phone so he could text Pidge about how insufferable Shiro was being.

 

“Well, I hope you two don’t meet,” Keith huffed, just to be difficult.

 

The conversation lasted a lot like this, with Keith telling Shiro the details of what he’s been up to, and Shiro saying much the same; though details of Shiro’s mission was lost on him, he listened intently and was happy to just talk. He felt like he hadn’t been able to have a nice, fulfilling conversation with anyone for a while. And plus, Shiro just made you feel comfortable. Reassured. As if you could entrust the whole world to him, and know that it would be okay.

 

But even though Shiro was good to confide in, he teased Keith about Lance _incessantly._ It wasn’t _Keith’s_ fault he had been stuck with Lance for the last week--and it _totally_ wasn’t his fault that he was okay with that.

 

“What time do you leave?” Keith asked, and a few seconds of comfortable silence enveloped the two of them.

 

“I’m actually here for a few days,” he said. “But it’s on business.” Keith’s eyebrows shot up.

 

“Business? NASA? What would they want with _this_ town?” Shiro let out a huff of a laugh at Keith’s tone, and the mood in the room changed almost imperceptibly as Shiro shifted, looking down at the floor for a brief moment. He rolled his lip between his teeth for a while, and then took a breath.

 

“The Castle of Lions,” he answered, and that was enough to cause Keith’s blood to run cold. Shiro knew about Keith’s findings; he was the first person that was told about the weird metal door in the middle of the forest. Despite his trust in Shiro, Keith pursed his lips, a heavy knot forming in his stomach.

 

“Shiro… you…” He held up his robotic hand, shaking a head.

 

“No, I didn’t.” Keith let out a breath of relief. “But they want me to take a look around the city’s files and inspect the area. I wanted… to ask you if it was okay for me to--”

 

“Shiro! No,” Keith jerked upwards immediately, shoulders locking and breath hitching at the movement. Shiro was immediately up, using an arm to bar the teen from falling forward, and he put his hand on Keith’s shoulder.

 

“OK,” he murmured, softly. “I won’t.” Keith nodded, unable to look him in the eye, breath coming in shallow gasps at the pain. It passed soon enough, and Shiro called in a nurse to administer another dose of painkillers.

 

“Shiro,” Keith called, as he was walking out the door. “I’m sorry… but that place--”

 

“I know,” he said, smiling softly. “I haven’t seen it, but I know. I’ll be back tomorrow.” Keith nodded, watching the older man go, running a hand through his hair.

 

He wondered, as his eyelids grew heavy, if he should’ve let Shiro take the information to NASA. It wasn’t as if he was going to go anywhere with the facts he had himself; if he wanted to get that door open, then he would need help. Sighing, he just decided to let it be. Somehow, he felt that he would find the true answer to Voltron eventually, and that giving that access to NASA wasn’t the way he would do that.

 

{--+--}

 

He was in the forest again, walking among the foliage and tree roots towards the place that lion was hidden in the alien castle. The air was thicker than it usually was; it was almost hard for Keith to breathe, having to take huge gulps of air to stop from feeling light headed.

 

The leaves crunched on his soles, but it wasn’t in the same way that he remembered. They were limp, being crushed with just a soft swish of sound; and as he lifted his foot again and looked back at it, he realized that they were covered in blood. He reeled backwards immediately, the red standing out so _starkly_ against the green and yellow and brown--why hadn’t he _noticed?_

 

The wind suddenly picked up-- _why was there this much wind in this dense of a forest?_ \--before he heard a low growl, and a chill ran up him. He heard twigs crunch somewhere to his right, and he twisted sharply to see a pair of gleaming eyes in the darkness of the canopy. He had just enough time to process a very brief _Oh, Shit._

 

And then he was running--old, worn boots pounding against the forest floor, his chest heaving as he willed himself away. The fear practically ate at him; he could feel the hot breath on his heels, the tug of the claws that were a hair’s width from slicing his flesh, hear the snort of the beast as it pursued him through the trees.

 

He didn’t know how long he ran for, but the roots seemed to be trying to trip him. They grew above the floor to catch his ankles, and he stumbled, toppling heavily among the leaf litter and dirt.

 

Humid air enveloped him as he turned to see the beast leap at him--eyes glowing bright, claws extended, and jaws wide open.

 

{--+--}

 

He gasped awake in the cot, heart monitor beeping like crazy and a nurse hovering over him with an expression of concern.

 

“I’m fine,” Keith managed to say. “Just--a nightmare.” After the nurse was sure he was okay, she left him; leaving him to wonder just what the hell was about.

 

He flicked the dim hospital lamp on and flipped through the notebook Lance gave him; he quickly scribbled out his dream so he wouldn’t forget it; he didn’t know how he really _could,_ but seeing as how he could barely remember what he had eaten only hours before, he felt safe writing it down.

 

A lion--that’s what he was pretty sure was chasing him. He didn’t know if it had been the same one in the ruins, but he managed to scrawl down several different theories before his hand cramped from tiredness.

 

It could have been Voltron; but that seemed unlikely, since he was sure that Voltron was much bigger--and humanoid. It could have either been the lion in the castles, or one of the other ones. But why would one of the other lions appear to him in a dream? He shook his head, sighing.

 

He’d deal with that fact another day.

 

{--+--}

 

He woke to find Shiro typing away on his laptop, and Hunk racing in waving around his fixed phone.

 

“Yo! Keith, I managed to fix it up! It was pretty difficult because I didn’t wanna ruin anything Pidge’s done--I mean, I’m pretty sure I didn’t since it works now and all that--but if you need anything or it’s not working right again I’ll definitely be happy to take a look at it!” Hunk practically threw the phone at Keith, then turned around and began to duck out the door. He glanced at Shiro, waving at Keith, and then looked again, as if he make sure Shiro wasn’t a figment of his imagination. Keith laughed.

 

“Hunk, this is Shiro. Shiro, Hunk.” Hunk waved a bit nervously, and Shiro extended his right hand.

 

“Nice to meet you, Hunk.” They shook, Shiro sending him a warm smile.

 

“So, uh… friend?” Hunk looked between Shiro and Keith, and the two of them nodded.

 

“Adoptive brothers, basically,” Keith clarified.

 

“I’ve known Keith since he was still wearing raccoon-smudged eyeliner and tight black skinny jeans.”

 

“Shiro! Shut up, okay?” Hunk laughed.

 

“Well, I gotta blast, dude. School starts in 15 minutes. I’ll be back later today, okay?” And with a last goodbye, he was gone.

 

“Just _why_ do you have to tell people that every single time you meet one of my friends?” Keith glared at the older man, slowly crossing his arms. Shiro just tilted his head innocently.

 

“What do you mean? It gives them an appropriate time frame. Back when My Chemical Bond was still together or something, right?” Keith just groaned, smacking a hand to his forehead, and slowly dragging it down his face. Whether or not Shiro was _trying_ to goad him… he couldn’t tell.

 

“It was _My Chemical Romance_ and that was a _rough time,_ okay?”

 

Shiro just gives him a wide grin. “Of course,” he said.

 

The nurses came in to give him another dose of painkillers, and told him later that night Alfor would be back to give him a final evaluation for discharge. Keith was both terribly eager to get out, but also not too keen. He didn’t know if he’d be subject to the same fight if he returned to his apartment; and more ashamed by the uncertainty that he would be able to take care of himself.. At the moment, he just pushed that worry into the back of his mind, and waited.

 

It was nice, sitting together with Shiro for the few hours until Hunk came back, Shiro tacking away on his keyboard and drinking coffee, and Keith doodling in the notebook and texting Pidge. He was getting tips on how to play Pokemon Go, because apparently Keith didn’t need _Lance_ to install it for him. Hunk did.

 

“Hey guys! I brought food,” Hunk said, coming in for the second time that day with containers, “and, unfortunately, Lance.” Hunk came forward and placed the food on a small table, and Keith smiled.

 

“Thanks, Hunk, for fixing my phone. I mentioned you to Pidge and he said he remembers you.” Hunk lit up, clapping his hands.

 

“Oh man, really? Wait, can you give him my number or ask him if I can have his? It’d be totally awesome to get in touch again.” Hunk raced to Keith’s side, watching the information get relayed to Pidge. A moment later, and his own phone was dinging with a new message. Lance walked in the door shortly after that, flicking a finger on his phone screen and looking very distressed.

 

“Ugh! This stupid--” he flicked his finger again, “this fucking _pokemon--_ Shit! I missed--” another flick, “I just want a damn pikachu!” He closed out the app and collapsed onto the chair nearest the door, lamenting. “Dude, the fucking _mascot_ of pokemon is a fucking _pikachu_ and I can’t get a pikachu! It ran away.”

 

“Why don’t you hatch 2 km eggs, Lance? You could--”

 

“No, Hunk, just because that’s all you do doesn’t mean I’m gonna do it. It takes too much time. It’s easier to just catch one.”

 

“Obviously not, because you keep--”

 

“Don’t rub salt in my very fresh, very bloody wounds, okay, _compadre?_ ” Lance, at that moment, seemed to sense Shiro, and looked directly at him, eyes bugging out a bit. “Woah. Anybody else see the dad in the room? Or did I take too much of my medication today?”

 

“ _Lance--”_

 

“Hi, Lance. I’m Shiro. We met briefly on the phone?” Shiro stood, sending a look out of the corner of his eye to Keith, who blatantly looked away.

 

“Oh, Shiro?” Lance stepped forward to shake his head. “I’m, uh. Lance. Of course. You know this.” Shiro nodded, and Lance felt his face grow hot under Shiro’s scrutiny.

 

“You’re pretty hard to miss,” was all Shiro said. “Thank you for taking care of Keith all this time.” The handshake was dropped, and Lance brought that hand nervously to the nape of his neck.

 

“Ah, yeah… I mean, I did the best I could but…” He glared pointedly at Keith. Keith immediately frowned, head jerking up.

 

“Hey! What’s with that look?”

 

“You’re like that stray cat that doesn’t know what’s good for it and then runs back every time it gets hurt.”

 

“I am not--Why--What’s with the stray cat comparisons?” Keith’s glare only hardened.

 

“That’s what you are!”

 

“It is not!”

 

“You--”

 

Hunk opened a container of food, and at once a sweet aroma filled the room. It caused both Lance and Keith to stop bickering, and Lance rubbed his hands together. Keith sniffed the air lightly, and Lance rolled his eyes at the cat-like gesture. He turned to Hunk, peeking over his shoulder at what had been opened.

 

“Oh, _yes_ ,” he groaned, holding the ‘s’ out in an annoying hiss. “Keith, you’re gonna _love_ this one.”

 

“Uh? Should I be afraid?”

 

“No--no, no, remember those meatballs from Costco?” Lance turned to get a plate and a scoop of the food from Hunk, and then held it out to Keith, whose face went slack with excitement. Lance just snickered, offering some to Shiro.

 

Shiro wore the same surprised expression as Keith did when he first tasted it, and Keith laughed.

 

“Same, Shiro,” he said, chewing his own food and watching Shiro ask for seconds.

 

The rest of the day proceeded in quiet harmony, and Keith felt absolutely content. His ribs were messed up and the nurse kept coming in to check if he had eaten any of the ‘bad’ foods, but otherwise it couldn’t be better. Well, it could be, if Pidge was here in person. But instead, Keith called and put him on speakerphone, and for once in his life, Keith felt whole.

 

It was amazing that it took him two broken ribs to feel that way, though. _No pain, no gain_ , he thought, shoving another meatball into his mouth.

 

Soon Lance and Hunk left, having homework, and Pidge was back to research; so it was only Shiro and Keith when Alfor walked in for his evaluation.

 

“How are you today, Keith?” Alfor asked, walking forward and shaking hands with Shiro. As the two talked in hushed tones, all Keith could think about was the fact that Lance had called Shiro a dad, and that it _fit._

 

“I’m good,” Keith replied, clearing the notebook off his lap. Alfor nodded, taking the stethoscope from around his neck and starting to go through the usual motions. Breathing, heart rate, and also diaphragm strength. Making sure he wasn’t inhaling too shallowly, and that the movement gave him no pain. Keith watched Shiro out of the corner of his eye, saw his face twist at the sight of Keith’s bruises, saw his shoulders lock  at the sight of his purpling ribs.

 

A weight settled in Keith’s stomach at that, but then Alfor told him to stand. And Keith’s confidence suddenly melted away has he landed experimentally on the cold, hard tile. He took a deep, steadying breath.

 

“Walk to the door and back,” Alfor murmured, and Keith nodded.

 

He put one foot in the front of the other, and gritted his teeth at the dull ache that registered in his side and in the rest of the bruises on his body. Keith hissed, seeing Shiro start forward a fraction, ready to catch him. He gave the older man the tiniest shake of his head, and Shiro pursed his lips.

 

The walk was hard. He’d be lying if he said it wasn’t. Alfor knew this as well, because Keith couldn’t keep his face neutral.

 

“Two more days,” was all the doctor said as he exited the room, casting Keith an apologetic glance.

 

“You shouldn’t push yourself,” Shiro said, the moment Alfor was out of earshot. Keith only glowered at the hospital’s bed sheets.

 

“I hate this place, Shiro.”

 

“I know,” he said softly, taking a chair and scooting close to the cot. They sat in comfortable silence, returning to their earlier activities, until Shiro had to leave for the night. He was out the door with a promise of being back the day after tomorrow, and Keith smiled at the empty room.

 

_They would be back._

 

{--+--}

 

Two days later, the bruises covering Keith have turned from a nasty purple to an array of different colors, blue and green and yellow, a sure sign of healing. Alfor discharges him as Keith easily steps from the bed to the door, and back. Then he does it again down the hall.

 

He hasn’t walked for almost a week, and it feels nice to stretch his legs. He’s more than happy when Shiro and Lance are by his side as he walks out the hospital doors.

 

Lance and his mother had made the decision that Lance would stay at Keith’s apartment _with_ Keith, and all Keith could do was nod, a little dumbstruck, as they piled in the van to go… well, _home_.

 

Shiro was right behind them, and they easily unloaded Keith and the rest of the food Hunk had leftover from hospital visits. Lance’s mom was bringing in blankets and more food, and Keith was surprised to walk in the door to find the whole place spotless. He sent Lance a questioning look, and the other boy shrugged.

 

“I stole your keys when you weren’t looking and enlisted my mom’s help. Also Shiro and Hunk pitched in.” He walked past into the kitchen, placing bags on the counter. Keith ran straight over to inspect his plants, all of which looked healthy and pristine. Despite a few missing leaves here and there, it was as if they hadn’t even fallen.

 

“Lance…” Keith said, turning to look at the person who had quite literally changed his life in the span of just two short weeks, “... Thanks.” The other boy just smiled, walking forward with a kind of sway in his step that Keith had grown fond of.

 

“Don’t mention it,” he said softly, coming up to stand beside Keith as he stroked the cactus, “it’s what friends’re for.” He didn’t wait for Keith’s reaction as he walked down the hall and bounded up the small flight of stairs, causing Keith to shake his head. When he looked up, Shiro was watching him with a knowing expression, and he stuck out his tongue.

 

“Gonna tell Pidge about this?” He asked, as Keith passed him. Keith frowned at the floor.

 

“If I don’t, Hunk will.”

 

Shiro just grinned at him as he went up the stairs, a lot more slowly than Lance, leaning heavily on the railing. The painkillers could only do so much until his body healed.

 

“Lance?”

 

He walked into his room, and it was as if he was walking into a different realm. The room was… clean. No clutter even on the desks, or his bed--which was _made,_ covers neatly folded. On top of them sat a very smug Lance. Keith opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

 

“What, speechless? That’s just the way I work, _hermoso._ ” He was leaning backwards on his palms, his legs crossed, and lips quirked insufferably. Although Keith didn’t understand what that word meant, Lance’s demeanor sent a bit of heat to his face.

 

“I just… this… is my room.”

 

“Yes… it is.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Mmhm.”

 

Lance had on that cat-like grin, one that made Keith almost feel like he was a trapped mouse. Except Lance insisted _he_ was the stray cat, instead. Keith frowned, sitting gingerly next to Lance. The bed jolted as lanky limbs spread out onto Keith’s sheets, and Keith looked down at the other, now splayed out. He jumped slightly as a voice boomed from downstairs; he had forgotten there were other people here.

 

“Lance! Ya me voy!”

 

“Okay! Te llamo mas tarde,” Lance replied, and Shiro appeared in the doorway. Keith narrowed his eyes as he walked further in, looking around Keith’s room.

 

“Who’s room is this?” He teased, and Keith scoffed.

 

“Lance’s,” Keith muttered. He frowned when Lance jerked around to look at him, and looked away as his face began to heat up. “... Mine, apparently,” he amended. Lance let out a nervous chuckle.

 

“Well,” Shiro coughed, turning around, “if you need me I’ll be just a call away. I’m in town until…” he trailed off. “I’ll be here until I’m not, I guess.” He waved his hand around, and Keith heard him walking down the stairs, accompanied a few seconds later with the door shutting.

 

“I’m, uh--” Lance shot off the bed, pausing in the doorway. “Going to put away the food now.” Keith nodded, taking a deep breath and then releasing it into the empty room.

 

“Okay." He brought his hands up to his face, trying to compose himself.

 

Jesus. This would either be the best thing that’s ever happened to him, or the absolute _worst._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edit: THANK YOU ALL for fixing my spanish and giving me pointers! I appreciate it lots!
> 
> ah yes... sometimes i'm writing this and i'm just. this was supposed to be like five chapters what the hell happened?
> 
> pokemon go, y/y? 
> 
> also if any of the spanish here is wrong/awkward go ahead and tell me! i'm trying to use simple phrases and stuff I can remember from my friend's family vacations. my memory has always been so... so terrible.
> 
> Translations:  
> estoy en el hospital - i'm in the hospital  
> hice lo que usted queria - i did what you wanted  
> que? por que--un momento - what? why--one moment  
> hermoso - beautiful/handsome  
> me voy ahora - I'm leaving now  
> te llamo mas tarde - I'll call you later


	8. Bonding Time

That night was pretty weird. He had to listen to Lance bang around the kitchen, opening cabinets and shutting drawers, putting food away; Keith had splayed out on his bed, head stuffed in his pillow… and then, by some stroke of fate, he had fallen asleep.

 

He jolted awake again to a distant roar through an echo of a dream, though this time only a feeling of curiously lingered instead of a racing heart. It took him a few moments to remember that he was in his room, and that Lance, who was living with him, was nowhere near. Keith tiptoed down the stairs, bracing himself heavily on the railings. He had accidentally skipped his nightly dose.

 

A snore disturbed the darkness, alerting Keith even before Lance came into view; and there he was, laying across Keith’s small couch. Lance had managed to clear away all the food, organizing and putting it where it was supposed to go; eggs and milk in the fridge, cereal in the cabinet, etc. The plants were awash in moonlight, and a small smile tugged at the corners of Keith’s mouth as he downed the pain medication; he sat at the kitchen table for a while longer, closing his eyes, letting the sounds of Lance asleep and the quiet of the night calm him.

 

Throwing a cover over Lance, Keith hobbled back up the stairs, laying carefully down and sinking back into sleep.

 

{--+--}

 

Keith shot up to the sound of a very _loud,_ very insistent fire alarm ringing throughout his apartment. Trying to ignore the pain in his side, he raced (as quickly as he could) down the stairs, and saw Lance waving a towel over a cloud of smoke.

 

“Lance! What the--” The initial shock subsided and he darted forward, grabbing the pan and shoving it under running water in the sink. The smoke dispersed, accompanied by a sizzling sound of the water as it hit the hot pan, and Keith turned to Lance. His ears rang slightly as the fire alarm finally ceased.  “You! What were you--”

 

“I was just trying to make us breakfast!” Lance had half his face covered, his shoulders hunched partially in shame. “I didn’t--I mean, how was _I_ supposed to know eggs would burn that easy?”

 

“Lance,” Keith said, not sure whether to feel endeared, angry, or incredulous; but somehow still feeling all at once. “Eggs are literally the easiest shit to make.”

 

“Well--I’ve never really cooked before--”

 

“How can you be 18 already and _never learned how to cook--”_

 

“Okay, Mister I-Live-Alone-Survival-Skills, I actually _have_ tried to cook, but that… it didn’t go very well.” Lance crossed his arms, pouting at the floor.

 

“You--what, did it end up with the fire department at your house?” When Lance just pursed his lips, bringing his gaze back up, Keith’s face went slack. “No. No fucking way. You’re joking.”

 

“I mean… the firefighter I talked to was Dane Werring. Nice guy, by the way, beautiful daughters.” Keith rolled his eyes, taking the now cool pan out from under the water and wiping off the burnt egg. It would be just like Lance to create casual conversation with a rescuer when there was a blazing fire behind them, learning his name and life story, about his wife and kids.

 

“How old were you?’

 

“Uh… 15.” At Keith’s look, Lance put his arms up in surrender. “Look, man, I don’t judge you for your mullet or lack of hygiene, so--”

 

“Actually, you do.”

 

“Well. I don’t, uh… make fun of you for… uh--” Keith snorted, knowing there was literally nothing Lance could say that would make that statement valid.

 

“You literally started a fire in your house at the age of 15 because you tried to make eggs for your siblings,” Keith restarted the burner on the stove and shooed Lance to sit down at the table, grabbing the butter and eggs again from the fridge. “And, even if that wasn’t so, I don’t think you have room to insult me anyway, dude.”

 

“... It wasn’t for my siblings,” he mumbled, eyes glued to his phone screen, “it was for my mom. It was Mother’s Day.” A beat of silence enveloped them, and the next second Keith was laughing, trying to crack an egg and not getting very far. Lance just looked up, frowning.

 

“You--ah, ouch--You caused the _entire fucking firehouse_ down the road to be called in on _Mother’s Day_ because you burned the eggs you were _going to give your mom_ \--God, and then your mom had to deal with the fire department. Because you burned fucking eggs--ow--” Keith grabbed his side, bending over awkwardly, trying to talk and not to laugh and not to be in pain but failing miserably at all of the above. Lance’s frown deepened with every passing moment.

 

“Listen, man. Shut up.”

 

“Oh, real good comeback.”

 

“Cook your damn eggs, Chang.”

 

“Only because _you can’t.”_

 

A few minutes later and Keith was shoving a plate along with two eggs, bacon, and toast in front of Lance. Thankfully for him, Keith didn’t say anything more as they both dug into their own plates.

 

“Um,” Lance started, and Keith looked over. “How… how long have you been… living alone?” Keith frowned slightly as he finished chewing a piece of toast. Lance seemed to know what kind of question he had asked, because his face was careful, but curious.

 

“Well… Uh. I was being taken care of by my Aunt for a while, when she lived here.”

 

“When did she move to Korea?” Keith sighed inwardly, setting his toast down completely.

 

“Three years ago.” He flinched as Lance’s hand slammed onto the table, probably harder than he intended, mouth agape.

 

“You’ve been alone for _three--_ What--”

 

“I stayed with Shiro’s family for two of those years.” Keith looked down at his plate. “But it wasn’t easy. His parents were strict. Really, really disapproving of me. A year ago I worked it out with my Aunt that I could have this apartment.”

 

“Huh,” was all Lance said. They finished their meals in silence. The rest of the day proceeded easily, Lance sitting at the table and finishing his homework (“What the hell?” “What?” “I didn’t know you actually studied?” “Wow, _rude.”_ ) and Shiro swung by.

 

“Keith.” Shiro sat by the plants, running his human hand over the leaves. Keith looked up from his sketchbook; he had found one, new and blank, conveniently placed on his desk that morning. Lance just smiled as he had taken it out. As the boredom ate him, Keith got down to actually trying to draw things other than plants and buildings, like people. Shiro, for instance, who was more or less posing for him at the moment.

 

“Hm?”

 

“I want to see the shack.” Keith locked gazes with Shiro, pausing, and his lips tugged downward just a fraction. “My boss said there was likely to be information there… and I also… want to see the castle.” Keith shut the book, and appeared to be weighing the pros and cons of the situation.

 

“... Okay,” he mumbled. “But--”

 

“Unless it’s anything I don’t already know… I won’t tell.” Keith nodded, feeling a sense of anxiety swirl in his gut, but shoved it away. For some odd reason, he felt that Shiro needed to be fully in the loop of things, whether or not he was reporting to NASA.

 

“When… when I recover, I’ll take you.” Keith looked away as Shiro gave him a warm smile.

 

“Thank you, Keith.”

 

{--+--}

 

Lance at his house after that was… _something_. Shiro had brought over the futon Keith used to sleep on with him, so they set that up in his bedroom. But that night, Lance hovered awkwardly, and eventually, Keith glared at him from the shadows and spoke up.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Uh, nothing?” Lance fidgeted, and Keith groaned, rolling over.

 

“Sleep.”

 

“But--”

 

“Shiro got the futon for you, so sleep.” Lance opened his mouth to protest, but then apparently thought better of it, and plopped down on the mattress. He ran a hand over it.

 

“Isn’t this… the one you used?” Keith opened an eye, surveying Lance. His voice was quiet; he was surveying the sheets under his hand fingertips with an expression Keith couldn’t quite place.

 

“Yeah.” He frowned as Lance continued to stare at the mattress. “So what?”

 

“So--It’s just... Yours?”

 

“Lance, everything in this house is mine?” Lance straightened, clearing his throat, gaze flicking around and then to the futon and to Keith and then back. Keith propped himself up on his elbow. “Is there something--”

 

“It’s just, this feels like something--like, off-limits. Like this is something you share with Shiro and I shouldn’t… I don’t know--” Keith cut him off with a huff.

 

“Lance. It’s true for a good amount of time, that was what I slept on when I was at Shiro’s. But it isn’t anymore. It doesn’t--It’s just a mattress. Shiro even brought it over for you himself. He doesn’t mind, I don’t mind.”

 

“O-okay,” he murmured, still sounding unconvinced, but laying on it and pulling up the covers anyway. Keith sighed into the dark, and finally succumbed to the pull once Lance’s breathing evened out.

 

{--+--}

 

Then the next night, the nightmares were back. Keith found himself in the caves near the castle, a persistent urge in his gut to move, or else he’d miss _it_. He didn’t know what, but his pace increased, and he ducked under roots and branches and weaved his way through the complex.

 

There was no light, no crystals, no lion carvings. It was just a cave, and there was no castle; he gulped as he entered the center of the caverns. Something was wrong here--something was very, very wrong. He pulled out his phone, and the first thing he realized that it wasn’t the same one Pidge modified for him. It was a beat-up red flip-phone. A bit spooked, he scrolled into the contacts, and realized he had none. No one to call for help.

 

He quickly shut and pocketed the useless device, running his hands along the walls and hoping to dust off dirt to reveal the carvings. There was nothing--nothing here, no Hunk, Lance, or Pidge; no Shiro--No Voltron. He turned to escape from the cave, but found that the tunnel he had entered through was gone. Keith spun in a quick circle, looking to find an opening, anything--but again, there was nothing.

 

He felt his throat beginning to close, panic blooming in his chest. This time, not only had he lost his parents--he apparently didn’t know anyone well enough to have their contact.

 

Keith was utterly alone.

 

He was doomed to be trapped in there forever--no one knew where it was but him, he couldn’t contact Shiro or Lance--

 

He gasped awake to Lance hovering over him, a hand retracting from the shoulder he had grabbed to wake Keith. Pain shot down his side and he groaned loudly, and that set Lance into action. A pair of pills were held in front of Keith, and he took them, gratefully, heart stilling and dream subsiding, but fear continuing to pound in his mind like waves on a beach. Lance didn’t say anything, just sat a ways away from the other boy, close enough to reach out but not close enough to touch. That space seemed to scream at Keith, deafened his senses and spiked the white-hot emotion pooling in his stomach.

 

Keith’s eyes flicked to the analog clock on his dresser, and he sighed. It was 3 am.

 

“S-sorry,” he muttered, and Lance shifted, leaning closer.

 

“You, uh--you wanna talk about it?” Keith sucked in a breath, closing his eyes, wondering if he should. He opened his mouth.

 

“It’s--uh, I was… Alone, in the ruins.” He realized that he couldn’t possibly relay the utter _fear_ he had felt _,_ and his throat constricted somewhat. “It was--I was trapped.” Lance was quiet for a few more moments, waiting to see if Keith would say anything else. When he didn’t, Lance moved forward and took Keith’s hand in his own.

 

“My--my mom used to do this for me. When I had a nightmare.” His voice was hesitant--no hint of that snarky bravado it usually carried, as he opened Keith’s clenched fists to reveal his palm. He paused, then, blinking and eyes flicking up, a question of whether or not it was okay. Their gazes met, and Keith nodded, ever so slightly.

 

Lance began to massage Keith’s hands, slowly using his thumbs to push the muscles around, running tanned fingers over pale skin. Keith watched, the fear he had felt before beginning to recede. A weight dragged his eyelids down as Lance continued, switching to the other hand, and although the feeling was slightly ticklish, he felt his muscles relax.

 

{--+--}

 

He didn’t remember falling asleep, but when he woke up the next morning, he was face to face with Lance. It took him completely by surprise; they were mere inches apart, knees touching, knuckles brushing. Keith recoiled, sucking in a breath, and yelped as the back of his head connected with the wall. He couldn’t believe--out of all things-- _Oh shit fucking christ what the fuck?_

 

He thought Lance would have _definitely_ woke up from his shout, but he was mistaken. The other boy was still fast asleep, snoring softly; and Keith was caught. He leaned forward again, eyes raking over those now-familiar features, only now he absorbed the details.

 

He took in the light dusting of freckles that spattered Lance’s entire face; a few particularly prominent on the bridge of his nose and one almost like a beauty mark under his right eye. His eyelashes were long, too; Keith felt like he could reach up and ghost his thumb over them, and not have to worry about skimming Lance’s skin. Keith’s gaze wandered down to his lips, and that’s where he stopped, heart thudding painfully loud in his ribcage. So loud, that Keith was sure the force of it would realign his broken rib.

 

And then an alarm was going off, and Keith immediately jerked back, once again colliding with the wall with a grunt. Lance groaned softly, stirring; Keith didn’t know whether to feel infinitely grateful or disappointed that the moment was over. Lance silenced his phone.

 

Upon learning that the two had slept in the same bed, Lance cracked a loopy smile, and Keith just about burst out of his goddamn mind. His hair was dishevelled, eyes slightly droopy from sleep, and his shirt was crooked. God, fuck. He looked down at himself and realized he was probably much in the same state, but in a much grosser, way less cute way.

 

He cursed his thoughts.

 

“Wow, this is just like the night in the shack. What a nice bonding moment, though I don’t know why I always end up sleeping with you.” His voice is thick and heavy and rough with sleep; Lance doesn’t even seem to realize what he said, and Keith feels his face begin to heat up considerably. Traitorous.

 

“Uh,” Keith chokes out, and that’s when Lance’s eyes widen, and he becomes just as red as Keith’s jacket. They sit in awkward silence for a couple more seconds until Lance bolts from the bed, muttering something about needing to take a piss. Apparently Lance running every time something happened was a thing.

 

Keith faces the wall, and bangs his head against it, several times.

 

{--+--}

 

The rest of the week proceeds almost without incident; things go on ‘normally’ and Lance begrudgingly heads to school. Normally enough, the two of them start to sleep in Keith’s bed; the futon laying untouched on the floor. They don’t talk about this at all, don’t mention it; they both just let it be. Things are ‘normal,’ as Lance becomes a part of Keith’s daily routine; he remembers Lance doesn’t like his eggs runny, prefers bacon chewy, and always pours cereal before the milk, which Keith finds weird. He comments on this to Lance one morning.

 

“Uh, if it’s so _weird,_ how the hell do _you_ do it then, mullet?” Lance sets down the cereal box (a colorful marshmallow, space-themed sugary kids brand) and gives Keith the most judgey look. He pries the lid from the carton and begins to pour.

 

“I put the milk first?” The reaction is immediate, and Lance slammed the carton down and turned fully to Keith, eyes bugging.

 

“What?” He splutters, fumbling a bit when a milk splashed onto the counter from his outburst. He wiped it away with a napkin. “You _heathen.”_

 

“I’m pretty sure I’m _not_ a heathen for pouring milk first, there are so many other things that’d make me a heathen and I don’t think one of them would be milk.” Keith arched an eyebrow at Lance, and smirked slightly when the other all but popped a vein on his forehead.

 

“You--I can’t believe--I--pouring the _milk_? First!?” He took a couple steadying breaths, gripping the edge of the table.

 

“Yeah, you pour the milk and then the cereal so that way you know how much milk--”

 

“No--no, no, no; see, you pour the _cereal first_ so then you can pour the perfect amount of milk in.”

 

“That’s so much harder, you end up putting too much milk.” Lance just glared, turning back to his bowl and sticking the spoon in.

 

“I mean, that, coming from someone who has a mullet--”

 

“Oh _my god,_ shut _up_ about my damn hair already!” Keith rolled his eyes, leaning forward slightly and pointing a fork threateningly. Lance held up his arms in mock-surrender.

 

“Hey man, it’s not _my_ fault it’s so damn terrible.” Keith threw a piece of toast at him, and Lance jerked to dodge it, which just helped in it hitting his ear instead of nose. Keith snickered, and Lance reddened considerably.

 

“Go to school,” Keith said, shoving a lunch in Lance’s arms. He almost slapped it to the floor when that familiar shit grin crossed Lance’s face.

 

“Aw… babe, for me?” Keith spluttered slightly, but quickly recovered, looking anywhere but Lance’s face.

 

“You know, you’re supposed to be the one looking after me, but I think it’s the other way around,” he said instead, turning away and walking to unlock the door. Lance frowned, but perked up the next second.

 

“Hey, will you let me drive your hovercraft?” Keith snorted, shoving him out the door.

 

“No way.”

 

“Aw man, come on, please?”

 

“I’m already making you breakfast, and I made your lunch, _and_ this is my apartment… and _then_ you want me to let you crash my bike?” Keith crossed his arms, leaning in the doorway. Lance glanced to the side for a brief moment, and then back.

 

“Uh, not _crash,_ drive--and... yes?” Keith rolled his eyes.

 

“We will not discuss this topic any further until my ribs are all healed.”

 

“Awwwww… Keeeiiittth,” Lance trudged down the apartment steps.

 

“You’re going to be late!” Keith watched Lance jump down the last few of the stairs, and without turning around, he flipped him off.

 

“Okay, _mom,_ ” Lance grumbled, jogging over to his own _way_ less cool and _way_ less hover-y bike. Keith laughed softly as he heard Lance ring a bell at him, waiting until Lance disappeared from view down the street. Then, he went inside, opened his sketchbook with one particular face in mind, and began.

 

{--+--}

 

“So, uh, Keith,” Lance asked one evening, after the two of them come back from dinner at his actual house, “why aren’t you in school?” Keith froze suddenly, tossing his keys onto the counter and missing the granite by at least two feet. When he whipped around to look at Lance’s face, he could tell that this topic wouldn't be dropped easily.

 

“What is this, Lance’s week of ‘ask Keith every single personal question, ever?’” Keith threw himself onto the couch, and Lance flopped down beside him.

 

“Uh, no; I haven’t asked you your sexual orientation yet,” he snorted, and Keith’s head snapped to the side. Lance coughed and colored slightly, and they both glanced away. Then an evil idea formed into Keith’s mind, and in a streak of boldness, before the confidence could fade, opened his mouth.

 

“What, interested?” If he was honest, he was genuinely curious, though unsure if he wanted to hear the answer. But even so, Lance’s reaction made Keith stop short.

 

“I--What--I mean--” his voice raised several octaves as he shot straight up in his seat, refusing to meet Keith’s eyes. “Who--Who would want to date someone with a mullet?” Keith swallowed.

 

“That doesn’t answer my--”

 

“You can’t just change the subject and ask me a question when I already asked you a question! You have to answer mine, first!” Lance had leaned away from Keith, and he tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut. Keith frowned, rolling his eyes and leaning back.

 

“I… got into a bit of trouble at my old high school,” he said, sighing. Lance raised his eyebrows. “Like… I got into a fight,” he mumbled.

 

“How bad?” Keith pursed his lips, turning his head.

 

“... Pretty bad.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair and frowning, eyes gazing into the distance. “Someone… it was sometimes last year, before I started living alone. A group of guys were talking shit about Shiro and egged me on. I got booted.” Lance’s nose scrunched up.

 

“Shiro? Why?”

 

Keith shrugged, making an exasperated motion with his hand, “Who knows, people are fucking sour just because someone is better than them at every single thing in the book.” He huffed, going upstairs and leaving Lance to sit.

 

Lance cracked a smile. Even if Keith liked to pretend he was a tough guy, he sure had a soft, gooey center. Like a jelly donut. Except warmer. Like, as if it was just pulled out of the frier or the oven, scalding hot to the touch and enough to burn your tongue; but the fact still stood that once Keith cooled off, he was a real softy.

 

{--+--}

 

Or, this is what Lance _had_ thought--he totally regretted thinking that as Keith smacked his elbow and spine and directed him in proper hoverbike riding etiquette; a half a week had passed and the injured boy was stubbornly weaning off his vicodin and into advil, now able to bound up and down the steps and even more able to take joy in being an utter pain in the ass to Lance.

 

“Would you _stop?”_ Lance growled at Keith, who was frowning at him.

 

“No; riding this craft isn’t just all fun and games, you gotta _feel_ the bike and relax. You’re too tense, your posture is horrible--”

 

“Oh my god, you are _so possessive--_ I’ll learn in time, just let me--”

 

“Lance, this bike was put together by spare parts. Yeah, I had the frame, but i had to gut it and completely redo everything. If you don’t learn how to position yourself properly on it--”

 

“Look, Mr. Tight-ass, I _understand_ all that. All I’m saying is that it’s not that hard to ride a craft like this and also, have a little damn faith in me?” Lance shot Keith a look, and the other rolled his shoulders and dropped his hand on his hip.

 

“Fine; fine. Let’s see how you do, then.” Keith stuck a helmet onto himself and then on Lance, who frowned just a fraction. “What?”

 

“Why do you insist we wear helmets _now_ when you clearly didn’t want to all the other times--”

 

“Lance, this desert is not too easy to navigate, and honestly we should probably be sticking to asphalt--”

 

“You have absolutely _no faith in me--”_

 

“That’s not true!”

 

“It so is!”

 

“I just--” Keith grabbed the top of his helmet and groaned loudly. “The first few test runs I made on this thing didn’t go well, and I’ve tweaked it since then so it’s a lot better but I don’t want to take any chances. Now, scooch.” He placed his palm on Lance’s shoulder and Lance complied, scooting up so Keith could fit behind.

 

Lance looked straight ahead, trying not to reveal any of his inner turmoil as Keith locked his hands around his waist, and put his chin on Lance’s shoulder. The desert was really pretty. Yeah. The sun was starting to set, how nice…

 

“So make sure everything is secure, first. No things out that’ll fly away once we get going.” Lance took his phone and put it into his breast pocket, zipping up his jacket completely. Keith shifted slightly and Lance almost choked, his breath rushing out over the shell of his ear. “Okay, now turn the key.”

 

Lance leaned forward slightly, wiggling his toes, excitement coursing through him as the engine roared to life. He felt his face break into a grin; that grin faltered slightly as Keith moved with him, and he cleared his throat. “So, uh--”

 

“Now give it lift.” Keith pointed to a gauge on the right, and below it was a switch. Lance flipped it, and the bike rose, a soft hum vibrating through the engine. He tapped his feet excitedly, unable to keep a giggle from bubbling up. Somewhere behind him, Keith snorted.

 

“Can I? Can I?” His foot hovered over the gas, and Keith chuckled.

 

“Remember, the desert is a lot different than the road and there’s bumps and--”

 

“I know, I know!”

 

“Okay, then: Go.” Lance took off, the bike bursting forward, and Keith yelped.

 

“Sorry! Excited,” Lance called back, feeling giddiness flood him; though he wasn’t too sure whether that was because he was the pilot, or because Keith’s grip was tightening around his stomach and he could feel Keith’s breaths as his chest rose and fell.

 

Lance maneuvered jerkily for the first few minutes, as Keith shouted and pointed and even grabbed onto the handle once to swerve away from a drop off.

 

“Lance, you have to be more careful!” Keith replaced his hand on Lance’s stomach, groaning.

 

“Sorry, sorry! I’m--” he gulped again as a particular movement caused Keith to lean and reposition himself. “I--kinda distracted.”

 

“Distracted? Are you okay? Is there something--”

 

“No! No, I’m fine! I’m perfectly--” Keith shouted again as Lance was about to run straight into a boulder, and hastily jerked the controls. Lance slowed down, then turned of the ignition, the machine hitting the ground softly. Both boys were panting, and Keith in particular was ragged.

 

“See! I told you, crash!”

 

“Oh, come on! You can’t tell me you’re first time piloting this hovercraft was all fine and dandy and roses and shit!” Lance turned to glare pointedly at Keith, who had leaned back onto the the seat. Before he had much time to stare, Lance tore his gaze away.

 

“I--Okay, fine!” Keith’s voice dropped any annoyance, and grew more questioning. “But what are you so distracted about?”

 

“It’s nothing,” Lance said, a little too quickly. He kicked himself mentally. “It’s just--” His eyes stopped on an outcropping of rocks about a couple miles away; he frowned, squinting at them. Keith pulled himself up.

 

“It’s just what?” When Lance didn’t answer, Keith frowned. “Lance--”

 

“Shh,” he said, turning the key and setting the hoverbike towards the rocks. Keith grabbed on, a bit curious, but blinked as the outcropping they were headed for became clearer. The two of them continued in silence as Keith began to feel it too; there was _something_ in those rocks.

 

They came across a small cave, and Lance shut the bike down and began to hop off. Keith blinked.

 

“Uh, wait--Lance, the sun is setting, if we get stuck in there in dark--” Lance waved a hand.

 

“It’ll be fine.” Keith frowned, but when Lance just walked into the cave, he relented and followed.

 

Lance ducked into the entrance and emerged into a small tunnel; the sounds of water drops echoed through the cavern, and his steps were loud and unnerving. But he felt some kind of odd emotion come over him, and he glanced back at Keith.

 

“Keith, do you feel that?” He expected the other boy to look at him like he was crazy, to say something like, ‘feel what?’ but was pleasantly surprised when Keith gazed straight at him, a wild and excited glint in his eye.

 

“Yeah.”

 

The two followed the winding tunnel down further, Lance almost slipping on slick rock and Keith having to grab onto him so he didn’t tumble into the darkness. The light grew steadily less and less, and finally they came to a point where a couple steps ahead, they could see nothing. Lance groped for Keith, finding his wrist and taking it. As he stepped forward, his hand brushed against the wall, and suddenly they were lighting up; carvings similar to the ones that were in the ruins.

 

Keith and Lance exchanged glances, and the two made a silent agreement to continue. As they stepped onward, Lance could _feel_ Keith’s excitement; when he looked back, he didn’t see much evidence of it on his face, but he knew how much this tiny discovery meant.

 

Briefly, just briefly, Lance remembered the spiders and the bugs and the horrors of the night, of cave-ins and emergencies and things that could go wrong--but then a hum echoed throughout his head and he stopped short, causing Keith to bump right into him.

 

“Dude--” Lance heard a cracking sound, and with a certain kind of dread in his bones, he felt the ground under his feet give way. And then he was tumbling downwards, screaming his head off--he was going to die, he was going to die and he gripped Keith with so much force he was sure his hand would pop off--but then the two of them fell straight into a shallow pool, and Lance groaned.

 

He still had a deathly hold on Keith’s wrist, becoming vaguely aware of how his shoulders and butt ached that he had taken the brunt of the fall. Lance’s eyes fluttered open, and he found Keith right on top of him, grunting with effort as he pushed himself up.

 

“Lance?”

 

The cave was lit up by the same kind of crystals the castle in the ruins had, and in the low blue light, it did amazing things to Keith’s features. Lance was wet and still in the cold water, but where Keith was touching him, he didn’t feel cold at all. Keith frowned.

 

“Hey, are you going to stare at me all day or--” Lance coughed suddenly, blinking, snapping himself out of whatever the hell that was. Keith got up, and Lance took his hand, and followed his unwavering gaze to see that standing--okay, well, _floating_ before them was a huge, mechanical blue lion.

 

“Madre de dios,” Lance whispered, jaw dropping open.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so I know this has been really late--college is a lot more packed full of stuff than I thought, and well---I've been working on this in bits and pieces, and i have a fear it's not too cohesive, but hopefully it makes sense.
> 
> from here on out i'll try my best to keep up with my schedule of posting within 2 weeks but i'm unsure on how much i'll be able to stick to that! anyway, enjoy--everything will start coming together now.
> 
> for those who dont know vicodin is a powerful narcotic (painkiller) and can be addictive and all that good shit--when i had surgery I went on it and the most i did was glare at my wall because i hated life.


	9. Like Pieces of a Puzzle

 

“Keith. Keith,” Lance said, stumbling forward and sending ripples through the otherwise still water. He raised a shaking finger, opening and closing his mouths for several seconds in disbelief. “You--you, uh, see that too?”

 

“Yeah,” he murmured, and Lance looked over as Keith began to walk forward, eyes trained on the lion and the forcefield around it. “So… believe me now?”

 

“I…” Lance followed in Keith’s wake. He moved his head from side to side, trying to shake the feeling that this huge metal beast was staring at him.  “I never doubted you.”

 

“So… how do we get inside?” Keith placed a hand on the field, and a wave of energy rippled outward.

 

“Uh… maybe we just knock?” He raised his fist to rap his knuckles on the barrier, but his phone rang. The offending noise snapped him out of it, and he tugged it out with a grumble.

 

“Si?” He was immediately barreled with questions by his mother, and walked slightly away, talking back in a mildly irritated tone. Keith, meanwhile, placed both his hands onto the forcefield, inspecting it. He took his dagger out and tried to nick the odd material, but his knife glanced off it cleanly. He frowned, pocketing it again and walking around in a circle.

 

The barrier was made of a hexagonal pattern, an odd technology that Keith’s never seen before. It made his heart flutter in excitement, and he could feel the theories forming in the back of his mind as he looked around. The cavern was adorned with carvings on every side, and Keith took out his own phone, starting to take pictures. He jumped as Lance placed a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Hey, my mom wants us back, for dinner.” Keith sighed, reluctantly putting his phone away. “We can come back again,” Lance said, after watching Keith hesitate.

 

“How do we get out?” Keith looked around the cavern, and then back to Lance. 

 

“We, uh… We just kinda…” Lance frowned. “Maybe we just--” A purr echoed through the cave, and the two boys jerked their heads around to look at the mechanical lion.

 

“Uh--Did you just hear--”

 

“Yeah--”

 

“So it just  _ purred?” _

 

The two of them stared up, and Lance pinched himself. Nope, he was still standing in the cave, and that lion wasn't disappearing, either.

 

“Hey, Keith,” he whispered, leaning over and putting up his hand to protect his words, in an attempt for the lion not to hear. Keith cocked an eyebrow.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Do you think it can understand us?” Lance yelped suddenly as the lion chuffed. “Okay, okay that’s kinda weird--It’s like  _ in my head  _ like Keith did you  _ hear  _ that? I’m not going to die am I? Is there something wrong with--”

 

“Lance!” Keith gripped his shoulders and looked him straight in the eye. “Chill.” Lance raised his arms.

 

“Oh, I bet you think I’m crazy, huh? You’re telling me to chill when there’s a huge mecha cat in my head--?”

 

“No, that’s not what I said.”

 

“Well, you may as well have,” Lance muttered stubbornly, and Keith rolled his eyes and removed his hands.

 

“Whatever floats your goat.” Lance froze, frowning in confusion. He  _did_ hear Keith just say that, right?

 

“Uh," he said, haltingly, "it’s  _ floats your boat.” _

 

“What?” Keith crossed his arms, looking just as puzzled. “Why would it be  _ that ?” _

 

“Well, maybe because it just  _ makes sense?” _

 

“No, I’m pretty sure it’s--”

 

“You’re mixing up ‘floats your boat’ and ‘gets your goat.’” Keith’s frown deepened, and Lance internally smacked himself.

 

“Why would I have a goat?”

 

“Keith. Have you been living under a rock?”

 

“Uh, no.”

 

Lance opened his mouth to say something, probably about how insufferable Keith was, but he felt the lion in his mind again, and his attention was immediately split. Man, that was weird. He walked up to the barrier and inspected it for a short moment, raising a hand again to the barrier; and tapped it. It popped like a huge bubble, rapidly disintegrating, and Lance yelped and jumped backwards.

 

Keith dashed forward as the creature moved its great head, opening its jaw and setting a ramp down to the ground. They two exchanged looks. Lance spoke.

 

“So--”

 

“That’s how we get out?” Keith bit his lip as Lance shrugged, who then broke into a wide grin, suddenly dashing inside. “Lance! You idiot, it’s dangerous--” Keith ran in after, emerging into a cockpit with a bunch of controls to find Lance in what seemed to be the pilot’s chair. He frowned, walking up from behind, eyes straying over the interior and the screen that showed the cavern they fell into. “Do you even know how to pilot this thing?”

 

“Uh, pffft,” Lance waved a hand, “how hard can it be?” Keith groaned softly, gripping the chair in preparation. He noticed the other boy tense slightly, and frowned.

 

“Lance? Something wrong?”

 

“Oh, sorry… The thing’s like… talking to me.” He leaned forward, setting a contemplative hand on his chin, and then smirked. The cockpit swayed beneath Keith’s feet as the lion got to its feet, Lance’s fingers flying over the panel. “Let’s see what this can do!”

 

“Lance--!”

 

They shot out of the rocks, and Keith’s eyes were assaulted by the sunlight as the desert came explosively into view. The sun was already sinking below the horizon, setting the cockpit alight with scarlet. Keith just had time for his eyes to skim Lance’s figure, noting how he glowed, until they were brough into a swirling dive.

 

“Lance!”

 

Keith was ignored as Lance’s smile grew, and he had to tighten his grip on the chair in order to not get flung around. A small red dot on the ground gradually became bigger, and Keith had the sinking feeling that this damn feline was going to  _ smash  _ his craft. But just when he thought all his hard work the last few years would be for naught, the lion swooped downwards and seized it with its jaws. Oh, great. So instead of squashing it like a bug and leaving it there, the lion was going to crush it in its mouth. Perfect.

 

“Have you even thought about where we’re going to  _ land  _ this thing!?” He was forced to raise his voice over the din and chaos of the metal hitting earth, rocks flying and mechanical roar echoing in the twilight. “It’s loud, people are definitely going to notice!”

 

“Aw, come on, Keith! Live a little!” Keith opened his mouth to protest, but instead the lion took off, blasting straight into the cloud cover. After a horrible number of G’s that left his legs feeling like jello, he opened his eyes to a calm scene. The lion sailed over the clouds serenely, banking and rumbling deeply with a pleased purr. Lance relaxed on the controls, leaning back. “See?”

 

“Whatever,” Keith huffed, tearing his gaze away from the beautiful scene of the setting sun, back to Lance, and then to the panel. “Tell it not to crush my bike.”

 

“Oh, it won’t. It’s got it gentle as an egg. No worries.”

 

“An egg?”

 

“Yeah, you know how golden retriever’s mouths are so fucking soft and gentle they can hold eggs--”

 

“No.”

 

“Well, they can. And like I said, don’t worry.” Lance beamed at him, and Keith had to look away; the lion gave another purr.

 

“Fine,” was all Keith said.

 

{--+--}

 

After an indeterminate amount of time, Keith and Lance dropped back down to the ground under the cover of night, landing as best as they could in the forest near Keith’s shack. He still winced at the great cracking of trees as the lion touched down. Lance yelped suddenly, causing Keith to jump ten feet in the air. He turned to see Lance sinking down next to him.

 

“My mom’s gonna kill me!” Lance brought his hands up in a sudden shock, dragging them down his face. “Ohhh, mierda, I knew it. I fucking--” His phone beeped at the onslaught of messages as his phone finally regained service, and Keith swore he saw Lance’s soul spilling out of his body. “Lo siento, mama…”

 

The lion dropped Keith’s bike on its side, and he had to flip it back over. It took him much more effort than he wanted to exert (hint: none), but was pleased when he righted it with little to no pain or difficulty. He all but blanched at the damage, spinning on his heel to the lion and Lance.

 

“Golden retriever, my ass! Does  _ this  _ look like an egg to you!?” He shined his phone’s flashlight onto the clear, deep dents the blue lion had made in the paint and metal, and Lance winced.

 

“Uh, no… that looks like a hoverbike,” he joked weakly, and Keith’s face washed with rage. Then the boy thought it better to turn around, checking if it still worked. And lo and behold, the bike roared to life, to Lance’s relief.

 

“You’re lucky,” was all Keith said as Lance walked forward, hopping on the back. Lance just gulped, tightening his grip around the other’s waist, as they cruised home.

 

{--+--}

 

Oh, Lance’s mom was  _ angry.  _ This time, not even  _ Keith  _ was spared from her wrath. She was waiting for them as the hoverbike zoomed down the street, and sat the two of them down as they were let into the house. All of Lance’s siblings watched from the safety of the second floor as they were brought into the computer room, and when the door shut, Keith short-circuited for about twenty minutes.

 

Twenty minutes of Lance’s beautiful, caring mother, bellowing from her stomach; first in english and then slipping into spanish, all the while Keith watching Lance’s shoulders grow smaller with each passing minute. Keith just sat there, stricken, wondering instead how so much vengeance could be wrapped up into one woman, and then musing about how he hadn’t been subject to something like this… for a long, long time. He was briefly pulled into an old memory of his mother, telling him off in much the same way Lance's was, after he had wandered the park after dark. He could still hear the accent of his father's voice, the foreign words rolling scathingly off his tongue. Keith closed his eyes, clinging painfully for a moment.

 

They were banished to Lance’s room with a plate of food, and that was where they stayed for the next three hours, until even Pierce gave up glaring at Keith, until the lights in the house went dark, until it was safe to sneak out, back to the lion, back out to the shack, back out into the night.

 

{--+--}

 

The next morning, Keith found himself rolled up in Lance’s arms, a blanket slung around the both of them, and morning light filtering in through dusty, half-rotten windows. It took him a couple seconds to realize that they were back in the shack, had crashed on the couch (again), and that Lance was staring at Keith with a dopey, warm smile. For a millisecond, Keith thought it would be nice to wake up to this every day, but then he saw Lance’s grin grow wider, realized that it was now turning into a shit-eating smirk, and promptly kicked him in the stomach, catapulting himself onto the floor.

 

“Ugh,” Lance groaned, clutching his midsection and rolling forward. “Ouch.”

 

“That’s what you get,” Keith retorted, standing with minimal pain. He flexed his back muscles experimentally, and felt almost nothing. When he twisted, a sharper pain, but gone in a second. Lance was pouting at Keith as he took out his phone, and called both Shiro and Pidge, sending them both the same message--

 

“You better come here, I’m sending my location. It’s urgent. Aliens.” As Keith put his phone away, Lance frowned.

 

“Aliens? That’s all? That--”

 

“They’ll come,” Keith said, shrugging. “You think we should invite Hunk, too?” It didn’t even take Lance a second to answer.

 

“Of course.”

 

The two of them opened the door to the shack with their friends contacted and on their way, and stared up at the glittering, blue, alien lion. When Keith looked over at Lance, he was wearing a dorky, lopsided grin, and Keith realized, as the sun dappled the excited curve Lance's lips, that that's how he must look, too.

 

{--+--}

 

Shiro was the first to arrive. He pulled up in a black van, and as soon as he set his eyes on the lion, he stopped dead in his tracks, halfway out of the car.

 

“Oh.” Then, when he recovered, he crushed Keith with a hug. “I knew you’d find it,” he whispered, and Keith was smiling; he couldn’t fight it off. Hell yeah for validation. Shiro pulled back, and held Keith out at arms length, smile drooping a bit. “But you’re on the news.”

 

“Huh?” Keith’s eyes bugged out.

 

“I mean, the lion. Footage of it bursting out from the rocks and shooting up into the sky. Apparently some family was having a picnic out there in the desert or something, and managed to catch it on tape.” Keith turned to glare at Lance, who shrugged.

 

“Come on, how was  _ I  _ supposed to know?” Keith crossed his arms.

 

“I told you  _ specifically  _ that we would be seen.”

 

“Keith, it’s a damn huge-ass blue alien lion. How  _ else  _ we were gonna get it out of there, much less  _ ourselves?” _

 

“Well--”

 

“Oh my fucking  _ shit,” _ Pidge shouted, as soon as their scooter zoomed up. Keith jumped at the sudden noise, not noticing his friend had rode in. “Oh my  _ fuck.”   _ He ran up to and immediately started inspecting the alien machinery, skimming his fingers over the mysterious metal and testing it. After a few minutes of ignoring the rest of the crowd, he finally looked up to Keith, eyeglasses flashing, a wicked grin on his face. “Keith, this is some CIA X-Files level shit.” Keith just scoffed.

 

“Yeah, except I actually  _ get stuff done.” _

 

Pidge smirked, “This is why you’re both Scully  _ and  _ Mulder.” Lance frowned at that remark.

 

“Wait, wait, wait; he can’t be  _ both  _ of them, can he?” Pidge brought his gaze over to Lance, adjusting his glasses as if just now seeing him for the first time.

 

“You must be the infamous Lance,” was all he said, before turning to greet Shiro. Keith snickered at Pidge’s obvious lack of reaction, and Lance was still stewing even as Hunk jogged up, breathing hard.

 

“Okay, guys; I’m here. Now where’s Keith--who’s dying?” He was bent over, leaning his hands on his knees.

 

“Hunk! Hey, buddy.” Lance sidled up to Hunk, leaning an elbow on the taller teen. “How’s it going?” Hunk’s face immediately dropped.

 

“Lance? Why is Keith  _ clearly  _ alive, well, and breathing?” Keith crossed his arms, shooting a glare at Lance.

 

“What did you tell Hunk?”

 

“Oh! Nothing, nothing--just that Keith was, uh… dying.” The glares on Lance diverted as soon as Pidge spoke up.

 

“Are we going to ignore the fact that Hunk sounded like it was a bad thing Keith was okay?”

 

“That’s--that’s not what I meant! Also, hi, Pidge, nice seeing you again, by the way--I just came, y’know, prepared for someone who was either bleeding profusely or half-crushed or dying or dead or--” Hunk took a breath and Shiro stepped forward, holding his hands in a calm-down gesture.

 

“Alright, alright; guys, we’re all obviously here for one reason--regardless of how we got here and what we were told,” Shiro’s voice turned scolding for just a quick second, and Lance flinched, “and so now let’s give Keith the stage to explain.” Keith nodded, licking his lips.

 

“Okay, so basically--”

 

“Woah!” Hunk exclaimed suddenly, looking up and pointing. “What is--what is  _ that?  _ Are those the aliens? Are they here now? Where--”

 

“Hunk!” Lance tugged him down, snapping him out of a rant. Hunk frowned at the looks he got. "A little tardy to the party, are you not?"

 

“What? It’s not like I had much of an explanation before I came running.” Keith snorted while Pidge smirked, and a beat of comical silence passed in between the group.

 

“Anyways; yes, aliens. But more specifically,” Keith said hastily, as Hunk opened his mouth, “this ship. Lance and I stumbled upon it yesterday in the desert.” He grew increasingly animated and his voice quivered with excitement. “This is only one of them. There’s another in the ruins; that means we have two. Two of the five lions. If we can get the other one out, maybe we can--”

 

“Maybe we can find the others!” Lance interrupted, and Keith nodded.

 

“Yeah, exactly! The cavern we were in the other day reacted to Lance, and that’s how we found it.” Everyone looked up to the blue lion, which was currently glittering in the sun, trees trampled underfoot, and lying just below the height of the forest. Out of sight. Pidge cast a dubious look at the pair of teens.

 

“What do you mean, ‘ _ reacted’ ?” _

 

“I mean--”

 

“--As soon as we entered the cave, carvings on the walls glowed; and the bottom of the cave opened up to reveal  _ that _ .” Lance posed, as if presenting the lion for the first time even though everyone had already seen it and it was incredibly hard to miss. Even so, a purr echoed throughout the group, and Shiro’s eyes widened while Pidge stiffened and Hunk yelped.

 

“What was that!? Did everyone hear that? Please tell me I’m not going crazy!”

 

“Keith--”

 

“Don’t worry,” Lance said, clapping Hunk on the back and interrupting the rest of the outbursts, “it’s just the lion.”

 

“The what, now?” Pidge finally looked shocked, if not a bit scandalized.

 

“The lion. That was the lion,” Keith explained impatiently, hands waving around and enunciating his words. “They’re like--they’re sentient beings, but not.”

 

“Yeah! Yeah,” Lance said, smiling at Keith. Keith smiled back.

 

“Okay,” Shiro said, dropping a contemplating hand from his chin, and squaring his shoulders. “Have you tried the lion in the ruins yet?”

 

{--+--}

 

The group walked steadily towards the ruins of the castle, Keith leading the way; Lance and Pidge to each side, and then Shiro strode next to Hunk. The day was reaching its peak, and although the canopy of trees grew taller and thicker, sweat ran down their brows, and Pidge leaned away from Lance during one point, making a snide remark about how much he stunk.

 

Keith stepped into the cave even as the two of them began to bicker, and all conversation ceased at his disappearance. Lance frowned, leaning forward, but Keith’s hand shot out, once again, to take hold of his shirt and pull him in. He emerged, spluttering, on the other side, as Pidge walked cleanly through, followed by Shiro and then Hunk.

 

“God! Stop doing that,” Lance whined, brushing himself off and glaring at Keith’s smirk. “I hate it when you do that. Bad. Bad Keith.” Keith only snorted, twirling around in the darkness to watch the crystals in the cave light the way. However, as they entered the open area in front of the doors, nothing happened.

 

“Huh,” Keith murmured, placing a palm onto the doors and looking around. The crystals were still the same shade of blue, and the markings weren’t glowing.

 

“Wait,” Lance said, coming up from behind, “do you remember what we did that caused the carvings to glow?” Keith shrugged, nibbling his lip in thought.

 

“I don’t know. I was walking, one second, and then falling the next.”

 

“Yeah…” There was a moment of silence before Shiro put a hand on Keith’s shoulder, startling him slightly.

 

“Keith,” he said, a little breathlessly, “this place…” Keith immediately turned, eyes glimmering with realization.

 

“Shiro, do you feel anything?” The older man’s brows scrunched together, and Lance smiled as he realized it resembled something like one of Keith’s expressions--but then when Shiro nodded, just slightly, he was pulled into Keith’s infectious excitement.

 

“Okay,” he said, softly, body tense and fingers twitching with barely contained emotion. “Let’s--come over here.” Keith led Shiro to the doors, and gestured with his chin to them. Tentatively, Shiro raised a hand, then placed his palm on the metal. But after a few seconds, nothing happened.

 

“I can… I can feel  _ something, _ ” he admitted, glancing around at Keith and Lance nervously. “It’s just--” he looked down at his hand. “It’s faint.” Keith and Lance exchanged a look.

 

“Maybe we have to find the others… first?” Everyone wheeled suddenly as Pidge spoke up, and he straightened at the sudden attention. Hunk joined their circle as the smaller teen adjusted their glasses and continued. “I mean… I’ve--I’ve known Keith for a long time, so he told me a lot about what the carvings meant and stuff--all the ones on these caves show either Voltron itself, or the five lions in a group. So--” Hunk’s mouth broke into an ‘o’ of realization, and he cut Pidge off, good-naturedly.

 

“And if they’re scattered, that probably means someone didn’t want them together in the first place--”

 

“Meaning there’s a possibility that there’s bad guys after these huge-ass alien war machines, and that because of that, there might be a lock on this one,” Lance finished for him, and they all weighed in on that thought, a heavy silence descending.

 

“Well,” Keith said, breaking the gravity, “I’ve come this far.” He took a deep breath and looked around at the cavern, and then back to the group, “and I’m not giving up now.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AH! So here's the next, I didn't beta this or have anyone beta this so there's probably mistakes, but I'll go back to edit those in a bit? Probably?
> 
> Stick with me guys, there's only a couple chapters left. (probably two or three, but i'm not sure, since i'm long winded)
> 
> anyways... enjoy.


	10. The Hanged Man

That afternoon and into the night, the group poured over the many files in Keith’s shack and tried to figure out where the other three lions could be hidden. They didn’t come up with much, to say the least; more than a few times, Lance complained about Keith’s shorthand, and eventually Pidge went outside again to inspect the blue lion, even as the moon rose high above the trees. After a couple hours, even Keith was nearing his limit, running a frustrated hand through his hair and groaning.

 

“Keith.” Shiro stood slightly behind the teen, and when he turned around to address the older man, he knew what he was going to say. “Maybe… Maybe it’s time to contact my boss.”

 

“Shiro--”

 

“I’m serious. This is bigger than just a hobby now. It’s something… something that extends beyond us.” Keith bit the inside of his lip, looking away, even as Hunk and Lance glanced up from their place on the couch.

 

“That’s--the governmental process to investigate something like this--not to mention I could be jailed for going through government property for the last couple years--” Shiro silenced him with a raised finger.

 

“Keith,” he said, a glint in his eye; “I never said _NASA_ specifically.”

 

{--+--}

 

A pearl-white sports car pulled up to the house at exactly 11 pm, and Keith gave Shiro a Look as the engine stuttered and then finally died. The older man gave a sheepish smile and shrugged, Keith crossing his arms and waiting for the newcomer, Shiro’s famous boss and apparently a good person who was _not_ going to get the government involved and them all arrested--to step out. As Lance and Hunk walked up to inspect the commotion, Pidge adjusted their glasses and, for the first time in a while, stood from where they were inspecting the alien tech.

 

Needless to say, Keith was completely _stunned_ when a woman stepped out of the front seat, and he honestly wouldn’t have been surprised if she had been on the cover of Vogue or modeled for some high-end make up brand. She smiled at the group and gave Shiro a wave; one he returned, a bit haltingly, as if distracted. Keith turned to watch the rest of the group, and was amused to find Pidge’s eyes as wide as saucers, walking forward and forgetting about the lion entirely, but that feeling turned cold when he saw Lance practically drooling.

 

“Hello! I take it that this here,” she said, voice carrying the cadence of an accent, one Keith couldn’t quite place--maybe British or Australian? He was never really good at deciphering speech-- “is the Blue Lion?” He turned back around to find her lowering her arm, and Keith frowned even harder, trying not to glare but not really putting any effort into it.

 

“Yes,” he said, biting his tongue a bit when the word came out clipped and harsh. Shiro placed a hand on his shoulder, and Keith pursed his lips.

 

“You must be Keith--I’ve heard a lot about Shiro’s little brother.” Her response was not unkind; she either didn’t notice or was ignoring Keith’s obvious disdain for the situation. He nodded tightly, taking a breath and rolling his shoulders, and then gestured inside. He needed to calm himself before he had time to worry. Before everything started to unravel.

 

“Okay, well… why don’t I show you what I’ve been working on?”

 

{--+--}

 

Allura knew what she was talking about; she had obviously done extensive research into the Voltron project and gathered up any information she could. After a while, the discussion turned into her and Keith throwing theories and information across the table, discussion turning too convoluted for even Pidge and Shiro, who now glanced between the two at a loss. Pidge was entertained by the banter, while Shiro was more on the concerned side.

 

Luckily for Keith, Lance and Hunk had taken to the couch, opting out of the conversation after mere minutes. Lance and Hunk were curled up next to each other, the former asleep but the latter reading Keith’s old flight magazines. At the moment, Keith was pointing at the huge map on his wall, drawing with his signature red pen to mark the area they found the blue lion in.

 

“It was over here, in the middle of the desert--” he tapped the marker to make his point. “If what you say is true, and the paladins all have a certain element attached to them; why would the blue lion, who apparently is the guardian of water, show up in the desert? It doesn’t make any sense. If that’s what we base our strategy of locating them on--it just won’t work.”

 

“Well,” Allura paused, rubbing her chin for a brief moment, scowling softly, “the desert here was reportedly an ocean thousands of years ago. Then--”

 

“Okay, I see what you mean; but we also have to figure that time slot out; the lions most likely were all put here around the same time. However, that also means the red lion would have to be somewhere there’s intense heat--like a volcano. That’d be impossible to get to.”

 

“Not necessarily; the red lion could just be somewhere that has a connection to fire or somewhere that’s incredibly hot most of the year.” Keith sighed, walking over to a bin of rolled-up maps and shuffled through it until he found one of the entire globe. He spread it out on the table, it’s paper yellowed and edges frayed with use (or lack of it).

 

“Well… if they _are_ all on Earth, that is.”

 

“They have to be. It wouldn’t make any sense for two of them to be here and the rest not to.”

 

“Well--I’m just saying, if our information is correct, it wouldn’t be very tactically sound for whoever hid the lions to do so on the same planet, in the same system.”

 

“So… you think there’s really aliens, then,” Allura says, leaning back and crossing her arms. Keith huffed, elbows smacking on the table. Her dark, perfect skin reflected his dinky overhead lamp beautifully, and it made him even more frustrated. It was around 1 am. He was flushed--memories of when other people have brushed him off--made fun of him, ridiculed him--flashed into the forefront of his mind, and his hand twitched at the possibility of another failure.

 

“I--Did you _not see_ the gigantic blue alien spaceship Lance and I just discovered?” Not only was this conversation like physically taking two steps forward, but then another back again, it was grinding his fucking gears to hell and back. It wasn’t particularly Allura’s fault--but he felt like he was being tested. “I--Okay, I was skeptical when I stumbled across this shack, honestly; I was all, ‘what the fuck? There’s no way aliens exist, this is just some highly advanced technology from a past civilization on Earth,’” Keith straightened, looking right at Allura. “I did my research here for years--and for the beginning of it, I doubted. But then--” Keith swung around and pointed to the spot where the ruins were.

 

“Then, I found this place. It’s unlike everything I’ve ever seen--if you’ve felt the metal in this cave, you’d know. And you can’t tell me, with complete certainty that aliens _don’t_ exist--not after seeing the blue lion. Not after researching Voltron for NASA. You just--can’t.” Pidge raised his eyebrows, immediately checking back into Keith’s rant.

 

“Damn, _Sculder,”_ he whistled, and Keith sent him a withering glare. Pidge just smirked, busying himself once again with tinkering on his phone.

 

“Well,” Allura said, bringing Keith’s gaze back to her. He was surprised to see her giving him a broad, beaming smile. “You’re right.” Keith froze, opening and closing his mouth, effectively unable to retort. Did she just bait him, or did he read the situation wrong?

 

“Uh--”

 

“Aliens exist. The lion is proof enough of it, even if the glyphs on the cavern walls and static interference from space isn’t adequate. They’re there.” Allura rested her elbows on top of the maps and folded her hands in front of her chin. “And some of them are _not_ so nice.”

 

“Um, what? Did I just hear _aliens?”_ Hunk’s head pops up from the back of the couch and whips his head, looking at the group at the table with an expression of pure terror. “Did I just hear something about _evil aliens?”_

 

“Hunk,” Shiro says before anyone can confirm or deny that statement, “Why don’t you take Lance home? It’s been a long day, I’m sure everyone’s tired. In fact--how about we all just take 5, start again tomorrow?”

 

Keith and Allura stared at eachother for a brief moment, and then nodded at Shiro. Lance’s soft snoring filtered from the couch, and Pidge’s eyes were growing bloodshot. Not that the techie hadn’t taken all-nighters before, but… Aliens weren’t his thing. Hunk was just exhausted, and in all honesty, Keith wasn’t far behind them. Only Allura and Shiro seemed to be holding up well.

 

In the end, Allura dropped Hunk off while Pidge rode alongside on his scooter, and Shiro made sure Keith and Lance got back to the apartment. It took both of them to haul Lance’s unconscious ass into the doorway and up the stairs, and as they tossed the still-sleeping boy onto the bed, Shiro raised an eyebrow at Keith. It soon turned into a smirk as Keith tucked the blankets in, and the teen coughed awkwardly, straightening and glaring.

 

“Shut up, Shiro.” Keith shoved him down the steps, face growing hotter by the second. He kicked Shiro out the door when he waggled his eyebrows.

 

“Oh,” he said, all but waltzing out the door, “I didn’t say _anything.”_

 

{--+--}

 

They all met back at the shack just 7 hours later, Keith and Lance being the last of the group to arrive, skidding to a stop on the bike. Keith jumped off and stared up at the alien lion once again; it all felt like a dream. He hoped it wasn’t.

 

“Hey, come _on, cari_ _ño_ _,_ we don’t have all _day,”_ Lance sang, way too happy for Keith’s liking--and bumped lightly into his shoulder. Keith bristled, stomping towards the door.

 

“Shut up, asshat, it’s your fault we’re late in the first place.”

 

“Uh, no; that was _clearly_   your bad. I was--”

 

“You were asleep until 5 minutes ago, Lance. I tried to wake you up _ten times_ before that.” Keith turned the knob and barged inside. “And that doesn’t even make sense, since you slept the longest out of everyone here.” All eyes were on him as he walked into the shack, and he pointedly ignored Shiro’s and Pidge’s stares.

 

“Okay,” Allura said, clapping her hands, effectively snapping Lance out of a retort, “Now that we’re all here--let’s begin. Our operation details are as follows; find the lions.”

 

“Simple enough,” muttered Pidge, frowning.

 

“Okay, cool, but where do we even start? I mean, we didn’t get much done last night.” Hunk looked around at the others, and they all just stared at the table. After a brief second, Keith stood up and walked over to the map, once again. “Like yeah, I can make the geiger counter and everything to follow the elemental signature--but uh, it won’t help if I’m more than a couple miles away.”

 

“Alright, so I was actually up last night looking at places around the Earth--hot places, forests, caverns--And what it comes down to is primarily these four areas.” Keith circled the islands of Hawaii, the Amazon rainforest, Grand Canyon, and the Sahara Desert. “These areas have a lot of conspiracy surrounding them as well as an air of mysticism; they’re big and encompassing, easy to hide a huge alien mecha-lion in.” Lance raised his head from his palm.

 

“So, what happens when we go there and there’s nothing?”

 

“Then we regroup and search again somewhere else,” Keith said, shrugging, and Lance let out a dramatic groan. Hunk flicked Lance’s nose.

 

“Uh, how are we going to get there?”

 

“Easy,” Lance replied, waving Hunk’s hand away. “We take my lion.”

 

“ _Your_ lion?” Pidge adjusted his glasses, and even Allura’s eyebrows shot to her hairline. Lance blinked.

 

“Yeah--it was in my _head,_ guys.” Lance pointed to his temple, and he tilted his chair back, balancing it on two legs. “She was made for me.” Shiro and Allura exchanged a glance, and then figured it’d be best to let it be.

 

“Alright.” Shiro stood, and the rest of their makeshift team followed suit. “Then let’s get searching.”

 

{--+--}

 

They took off quickly, hoping not to be seen by another awe-struck family and put on home video, and let’s just say having two people in the cockpit was hard enough--this was about the most crowded place Keith’s been in years, and he hated it.

 

The first area up was the Grand Canyon; it was the closest out of all the options and they made it there in almost no time flat. They landed in a mostly deserted part of the rocks, Lance nestling the lion easily between a outcropping. He smiled, running a hand over the dashboard, then quickly followed the others out of the cockpit into the bright Colorado sun.

 

“Okay, so like, what now?”

 

“Now,” said Pidge jerking a thumb to Hunk, who was pulling the geiger counter from his pack, “we let Hunk’s genius shine.”

 

And shine it did; Hunk, after messing with the geiger to ignore the blue lion’s frequency, quickly picked up another signal only a mile from where the blue lion was. The group followed it eagerly and excitedly, and Keith felt a great emotion bubble up from inside his gut. It was a mixture of apprehension, anxiety, and pure excitement. He was pretty sure the excitement was the strongest, but it was hard to tell with the way his gut was rolling.

 

“There!” Pidge pointed to a small cave, and all at once Lance stopped complaining about the heat, Allura picked up the pace, and they all tumbled into the darkness.

 

It was terrifying; they walked through a pitch-black tunnel, skidding on some slick stone and bumping into each other. Hunk had a flashlight, but it was small and dim; it only illuminated the area ten feet in front of them. But soon, the path began to be lit by many yellow glyphs; the flashlight was quickly forgotten, and the group, in awe, followed them.

 

However, they found no openings in the cavern or the lion. They explored a bit more, going deeper into the winding cave, but stopped when they came to a dead end. The only change in scenery being a huge, glowing symbol that looked somewhat like a compass on the opposite end of the area.

 

“So, what now?”

 

“Well, the geiger’s going haywire, so it must be around here somewhere,” Hunk muttered, walking about the perimeter and waving the device around. As he walked up to the glowing circular glyph, it seemed to increase in intensity; Hunk’s eyes suddenly widened and he stepped up to look more closely at the rock. His palms brushed over the rock, and it seemed to grow in intensity.

 

“Uh, Hunk? Buddy? What’re you doing?”

 

“Uh--this--how do we get through here?”

 

“What?” The group filed in behind him, and Shiro ran his hand over the wall. Keith looked around at the cavern. “Why would you need to--”

 

“It’s through here,” Hunk said, with such conviction that everyone froze. “It’s--I can feel it.”

 

“Yeah,” Lance swung an arm over Hunk’s shoulder. “That’s the power of the lion.” Hunk shook him off, and placed the geiger counter back in his bag. His hands skimmed once more over the yellow glyph, and he hummed thoughtfully.

 

“Hey, guys--” Allura’s voice echoed off of the cavern walls, and everyone’s heads turned to regard her brandishing a sledgehammer. “Look what I found!”

 

“Uh--Where did you--Careful with that--” Shiro put out his arms in caution, but Allura walked forward, the weight of the hammer easily turning in her grip. She gestured for everyone to get out of the way, and then with a great heave, swung into the wall. Everyone gaped as a crack appeared, and Allura let out a sigh of relief and hefted the hammer back to her shoulder.

 

“Whew, now we know the other side is hollow.” Without pretense she struck again; and again, and again--each time the wall cracking further and growing weaker. And finally, with another great impact, the rocks gave way to the other side, and Allura turned to beam at the group.

 

“Wow. Uh--Good--Nice work,” Shiro stuttered, and Hunk nodded, while Pidge adjusted his glasses.

 

“Holy fuck,” Lance muttered, under his breath; loud enough for Keith to hear, but only since he was standing really close. Keith snorted, too excited about the yellow glowing barrier visible on the other side of the rocky wall to care too much.

 

Everyone rushed forward; first Hunk, then Allura and Shiro and Pidge; then Lance and Keith. The reward was instantaneous; staring at them was a yellow lion, its frame and overall design differing slightly from the blue lion--but it was clearly part of this Voltron. Hunk put his palms tentatively on the hexagonal forcefield, and it dispersed much like the one on the blue lion had.

 

“Oh my god,” Hunk murmured, dashing in as the yellow lion’s bridge was lowered. “Holy fuck--aliens, oh my god. Aliens.” Everyone watched as the mechanical beast literally roared to life, and Lance was cheering. Allura clapped and Keith stood with his arms crossed, smiling up at the sight.

 

Sometimes, everything pays off.

 

{--+--}

 

The next on their list was Hawaii, but that had promptly been a no-go. As soon as they entered the airspace above the island, they had been seen; the skies were as clear and calm as glass, which meant for smooth sailing and sightseeing. For both everyone in the lion, and people on the ground.

 

The only upside to this was the fact they were now evenly split; three people in one lion, three in the other. Allura flew with Hunk and Pidge, and Lance was with Shiro and Keith. Keith had leaned in closely, eyeing the beaches of the island as they began to descend, and called it off. It was too much of a risk; Shiro agreed, and even though Lance argued, they ultimately gave up and continued onto the Amazon Rainforest.

 

“Oh my god, guys--this is so cool, I can’t believe we’re actually in flying alien machines--and we’re seeing one of the world’s greatest and most fascinating ecological feats, I am so glad I met you Keith. I really want to see how all this stuff works, though; maybe we can--”

 

“Pidge,” Shiro cut in, sounding a bit apologetic, “I understand you’re excited, but--”

 

“Oh! Oh, right. Sorry.” Keith saw him rub his nose on the screen of the blue lion, looking around sheepishly. “I, uh--get excited.” Shiro nodded, smiling.

 

“It’s not a problem; really, but--”

 

Hunk suddenly shushed everyone, the device on his dashboard going crazy. “Guys, the geiger--”

 

“Wait, I see it too! It’s--it’s showing up on blue’s radar? What--they could _do_ that? We could’ve--”

 

“Lance--”

 

“This way,” Hunk interrupted, pulling the yellow lion into a sharp dive and landing heavily in between a narrow opening of foliage. Blue followed, barely squeezing in and managing to strip a tree of more than a couple branches.

 

“Way to go,” Keith grumbled, having been flung into the pilot chair. He rubbed his jaw and sent Shiro a look, only to find the older man bracing himself on the wall. Lance frowned.

 

“You guys--you guys just couldn’t hold on good enough.”

 

Keith snorted as they filed out, and everyone met, ready for adventure. The excitement practically crackled through the air; even Shiro bounced on the balls of his feet, teetering restlessly as the group set up the coordinates. Pidge ultimately succeeded in doing this; they had pulled out their phone, opened it to a GPS app, and was able to program the location into their device.

 

“Okay, I downloaded the information from the yellow lion onto my phone, we should be able to follow the signal this way, without having to recalibrate the geiger every time for the frequency of the next lion.” Pidge held out their device, showing everyone, then turned in a circle, orienting themselves. “This way,” he said, pointing, and began to walk.

 

“Wait, Pidge, how do you have service?” Lance glanced over at the phone, curious, but the only response he got was a cackle. “Uh--”

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Keith said, placing a hand on Lance’s shoulder, “it’s beyond us.” Lance raised an eyebrow in question, but for once opted to let it go, complaining even more intensely about the heat and how uncomfortably sweaty he was.

 

“Lance, please,” Hunk sighed, “we all are sweaty and gross, and I’m really, really hungry--but we just have to find the lion and then we can go eat or something.”

 

“It’s not my faul--” his face was turned as he addressed Hunk, so he didn’t take notice of the spiderweb that he walked right into. He jumped backward, dragging his hands over his face, spluttering and cursing. “Okay, okay--Pidge, how long--”

 

“We’re almost there.” Keith snickered as Lance wiped his hands on his jeans.

 

“‘Almost’ isn’t a measure of time or distance.”

 

Pidge doesn’t do anything except turn abruptly to the left, continuing on. Lance groaned.

 

“Uh… We’re.. Here?” Pidge clicked their tongue, finally glancing up from the GPS, the rest of the group following his gaze to regard a looming tower of… plants. Trees and vines and leaves were twined thickly together, making it seem like an impenetrable wall of foliage.

 

“Is there even anything there?”

 

At Hunk’s question, Keith walked up and placed a hand on the bark. He dipped his hand deeper, until it disappeared behind a leaf; frowning in concentration, he carefully probed the space with his fingertips.

 

“There’s… there’s--it’s like stone, all behind this mess of trees.” His fingertips ran along the uneven surface. There was barely any part of rock that wasn’t covered with moss or vines.

 

“Okay, Keith--” Lance walked up and carefully pulled the other boy’s arm out of the thick leaves. “I think you should stop like, sticking your hands in places that could be potentially dangerous.” Keith obliged, but shook Lance’s grip off, giving him a light glare.

 

“Lance, there isn’t--”

 

“I’m just saying. Remember the spiders? They might not be huge, but you could get bitten. Not to mention snakes, and what if there’s some kinda poison ivy? Dude, it’s just unsafe--”

 

“Lance--”

 

“If you two will stop bickering like a married couple, I’d like to announce that there’s an opening over here,” Pidge called, and the two whirled, taking a step backwards. Shiro’s smile was stretched from ear to ear, and damn, was it _terrifying._ Pidge poked their head in the crack, and Lance squawked indignantly.

 

“What is it with you people and sticking your unprotected limbs in places they shouldn’t be? That right there,” he said, gesturing dramatically at Pidge, “is definitely huge-spider-bait.”

 

“Holy shit, Lance, get off the whole gigantic spider--”

 

“They could exist, man.” Lance crossed his arms as Pidge ducked further inside. “Oh my god, every single horror movie--”

 

“Man, chill. If you don’t want to go in, you don’t have to.” Hunk smiled reassuringly at Lance, and he huffed through his nose.

 

“I mean, if you guys need me--”

 

“We don’t,” Keith and Pidge said simultaneously, and Lance frowned.

 

“You guys--”

 

“Alright, alright--” Shiro stepped forward, and the group immediately went quiet. “That opening looks pretty small--I think only Pidge can really fit in it.”

 

“I’m going,” Keith said, raising his chin slightly and pushed past to stand by Pidge.

 

“Dude. Huge spiders.”

 

“Lance. I don’t care.” Lance leaned back, crossing his arms and looking to the side. Shiro sighed at this exchange, brushing his hair out from in front of his forehead for a brief moment, and then addressed the group.

 

“Okay, Keith; you and Pidge go in there. Find the lion, and get back to us. We’ll wait.” Keith nodded, and when Pidge promptly disappeared into the crevice, he followed closely.

 

Pidge had to crouch slightly to fit, but Keith had to hunch over. He still managed to slide in, his shoulders and spine brushing the walls, but he was determined to follow. As they got further into the cave, the same glyphs began to glow green; Pidge and Keith exchanged an excited glance, and spurred onward.

 

The tunnel didn’t wind like the previous cavern had; instead it led them straight into an open room, where a river ran perpendicular across. The water flowed lazily, but it still looked too deep to swim, and disappeared into a similar tunnel on either side. There were no other entryways.

 

“Look at this,” Pidge said, walking up to what looked like a wooden canoe. In the front, a lion’s head was painstakingly carved. Keith ran his knuckles along the boat. It was definitely wood, and it felt slightly damp; but otherwise, no sign of rot.

 

“This’s been maintained,” Keith murmured, and Pidge looked back at him with an inquisitive expression. “Who do you--”

 

Keith was suddenly being pulled back, and Pidge’s yelp and vice grip on his upper arm was indicative enough that that question had probably been answered. Although, when Keith saw what Pidge was reacting to, he didn’t think it was a ‘who’ that had been guarding the boat, more than a ‘what.’

 

Keith immediately angled his body so he was shielding Pidge; before them stood an oversized sloth-like creature. If he hadn’t been researching aliens for years and even found two of the giant cat robots by now, he’d definitely think he was tripping on acid.

 

Pidge gawked. “Oh, it’s just a…. whatever… that thing… is. _”_ His grip fell loose around Keith’s arm as the he sighed in relief. Keith only tightened his grip on his sheathed dagger, ready to pull it out.

 

“... I hate sloths,” Keith muttered, and the creature just chirped. It seemed to look over the two of them with scrutiny; and after what seemed like a lifetime but was probably just a heartbeat, it shuffled over to the boat.

 

“Oh… so it isn’t going to kill us?”

 

“...Guess not,” Keith said, and the creature turned to look at them, then seemed to wave them over. “Uh, can it even understand us?” Pidge shrugged, but stepped forward anyway. They turned and raised an eyebrow when Keith hesitated.

 

“Keith, come on. What are you doing? We’ve already established aliens exist, and this guy probably isn’t going to eat us.”

 

“I don’t know.” Keith stepped forward towards the boat, knowing full well if the creature _did_ want to eat them, they’d be on their own. “I really, really hate sloths.”

 

{--+--}

 

They got into the boat and let the sloth-thing paddle them along the river; they were headed downstream, which, to Keith, seemed like a very poor decision considering the high-tech piece of alien machinery at the end could possibly destroy cities. Like, if you can just float downstream and have a good old time getting to the lion--anyone could do it.

 

Well, that is, if that person managed to find the coordinates.

 

The river echoed prettily along the stone walls, and Pidge and Keith leaned carefully over the side of the canoe to watch as the green lion carvings on the bottom of the river lit up as they floated past. It created a really wondrous effect, and Pidge took some pictures for good measure.

 

“Woah,” he said suddenly, and sat up straighter.

 

“What?” Keith frowned and looked around them, but saw nothing except moss, water, and the sloth.

 

“I feel it,” Pidge said softly, and then opened their phone back up to the gps tracker. “I don’t have signal anymore, but I can feel it.” Keith smiled, and although he was happy for Pidge, a pang of jealousy pierced him. He wanted to feel what everyone else was feeling; he knew what it must be like, but it was only a phantom of a sensation.

 

“What’s this?” Keith gasped instead, taking on an air of faux surprise, “you don’t have signal? The Great Gunderson Genius Pidge, aspiring innovator and technological extraordinaire, doesn’t have--” he was cut off with an ‘oof’ as Pidge tasered him in the ribs, _hard._

 

“Even when my signal’s down, my resourcefulness soars,” he remarked, smirking as Keith still wheezed. The creature made a little noise, and the two of them looked up to see a bright green light at the end of the tunnel. Pidge practically lit up.

 

It was the same as how Hunk and Lance did it; Pidge walked straight up to the barrier, and as soon as he made contact with it, the lion was released. The two of them walked into the cockpit, and out of the corner of his eye, Keith noticed Pidge’s wide grin.

 

It had been a long, long time since they had smiled like that.

 

The green lion took off without preamble, and Keith thanked the sloth-creature as it waved at them from down below. He still didn’t like sloths, but that one was okay in his book.

 

They burst from the encasing of foliage with ease and landed in front of the rest of their group, Lance whooping ceremoniously. They regrouped quickly; Allura with Hunk in the yellow lion, Shiro with Lance in Blue, and Keith with Pidge.

 

“Okay,” Keith said, “try and find the red lion with the others.”

 

Pidge tapped on the dashboard, fingers lightning fast, but frowned a moment later when what looked like an error code popped up.

 

“I can’t locate it,” he said, adjusting his glasses and trying again. “It just--it exists, because I can clearly see it had been placed on Earth some time ago… but it’s… not here. I can’t pinpoint it.”

 

“Yeah, I can’t find it either,” Hunk added, and Keith saw his and Allura’s faces pop up on the screen. Both them looked confused.

 

“Ditto,” Lance said, Shiro looking just as concerned.

 

“Well… What do we do now?” Hunk looked around at the others, and Keith bit the inside of his lip.

 

“We can’t get the Black lion out without all four of the others,” he sighed, rubbing his temples. “We’ll have to go to the other places I found last night and program the geiger to exclude the other lions, and--”

 

“Uh, I don’t think the geiger can pick it up either, though.” Hunk was tinkering with his device, frowning down at it. “I mean--it could, if we were near the Red lion, of course--but if the lions we _do_ have can’t locate it, what’re the odds that my counter can?”

 

“Aw, Hunk, buddy--Come on, even if the lions can’t--”

 

“I mean, Lance, yeah I know I’m smart, and I can do this much, but what I’m saying is what if the signal is being jammed?” At this, everyone went silent. “I mean, you did say that aliens existed earlier, right? And that they weren’t so nice? Well, what if--what if they have the Red lion, and…” Hunk didn’t need to finish his sentence for the rest of the team to understand what he was getting at. Keith cursed softly.

 

“Then let’s just… get back to the shack and…” Keith sighed, running a hand through his hair. So close, yet so far away--all his years of agonizing through the forest, of pulling files and scouring the internet--and it was still so far away. It had seemed so tangible this morning.

 

“That’s a good plan, I think; we’ll get back to the shack and try and figure out what to do about our situation. Now that we know about the nature of the lions, maybe we can conduct more searches and find more information--and about where the Red lion could be.” Shiro sounded confident, but Keith could tell by the quiver in his lip that the older man still had doubts about how successful they were going to be. Keith glanced down at the floor; he felt like going to the shack was giving up.

 

He looked out upon the earth and the water and clouds as they flew back home, and tried to find that same eagerness and excitement he had felt before, but now the only thing he felt was apprehension. The setting sun, scarlet and sinking, seemed to send out an ultimatum to him as they sailed home: whatever happened next, it would be the thing that would make or break this newly formed, still incomplete team.

 

And Keith had a feeling it had to do with whatever lied above his head, in the clouds above, past the sun and stars and even the galaxy.

 

He caught Shiro’s eye in the screen, and they shared a brief look--Keith wondered, for the first time in a long time, if these lions were truly a good idea; if he hadn’t just sentenced them all to death, to a lifetime of prison, to a fate worse than hell itself.

 

For the first time in a long time, the uncertainty in the future that beckoned him onward now yawned at him like the maw of a great beast; inviting him in to jump, to get swallowed whole.

 

In his mind’s eye, Keith took a step towards the edge and peered into the oblivion; and then, with a deep breath to dispel the weight in his chest and the resignation of a hanged man, fell forward.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shiiittt okay, here it is, finally. a ~6k word chapter, supplanting my usual ~4k, because you guys deserve it; sorry to keep you waiting.
> 
> college has taken up a lot of time, if not only for me to stress and stare at the ceiling in agony because my math grade is a C-. haha... when u have to relearn how to study because you never did in highschool.  
> there's going to be two (or three) more chapters, but i can only tell you it might take a while, almost a month or so for me to get each individual one out; we'll see, i'm going home for fall break this weekend so i'll try and get something down.
> 
> anyway, enjoy, and thank you for sticking with me, i appreciate your comments!
> 
> \----
> 
> I also want to add that my depiction of Pidge as a boy (using he/him) was when i was absolutely set on Pidge being a trans boy. I'm more lenient now, and personally hc them more as nonbinary and gender non-conforming, but as to keep congruity of the fic i'll stick to he/him with occasional they/them scattered throughout. thank you for your understanding! 
> 
> \----
> 
> hmu on tumblr/twitter, tho i'm really dead because of school, but seriously please talk to me i'm fucking lonely as shit.


	11. Shit Just Got Real

“Okay, what the hell do we do?” Lance circled Blue around above the shack. “I mean, we’re right by the neighborhood, just _how_ are we supposed to hide the lions? Hunk’s even bigger than me!”

 

“Perhaps we could fly to the ruins in the forest?” Allura shrugged, when everyone glanced at her. “Yeah, we can’t get the Black lion out, but it’s somewhere to hide them. The trees there are so huge and tall that they could hide them.” Keith frowned.

 

“Yeah, but the problem with that is there might be no space to land them.” At everyone’s blank stares, he relented. “It won’t hurt to check, I guess.”

 

They flew in the clouds above the trees, until they reached the middle, where the branches extended into them. Then the group weaved through the foliage, eventually reaching the thickest of the trunk. Splitting up, they circled around, trying to find an opening in maybe a branch--a flat plane they could land on, or even a cave to shelter in.

 

“Hey guys, it seems like there’s a break in the tree here,” Hunk said, squinting down. Sure enough, although clearly overgrown, there was a space in the trunk. It looked to be a yawning hole directly in the tree. Pidge angled Green down and went first, but they soon reached a dead end. Interestingly enough, there was a spot of that same alien metal.

 

“It looks like a door,” Keith muttered, and Pidge was about to turn on the comms when the two of them were flung forward from some kind of impact. Pidge ended up with their face on the dash, and Keith on the ground. Pidge groaned. Lance’s voice echoed nervously around the cockpit.

 

“Oops, sorry! It’s pretty dark down here, so I kinda--”

 

“So you raced in!?” Pidge sat up, adjusting their glasses, which were now crooked. “Lance, seriously, that hurt!”

 

“... Do you think lion seatbelts are a thing? Maybe we should like, I don’t know, check that out? I mean they made these lions, so--”

 

Keith slowly righted himself, turning to glare at Lance’s apologetic smile on the screen as the other rambled on. Shiro was in the background, holding his head with his hand. Hunk popped in a moment later.

 

“So, uh… anyone gonna explain?” Pidge grumbled something, but Keith spoke over them.

 

“There appears to be some kind of door here that leads into the castle, but…”

 

“Oh, I got this.” Blue squeezed past Green, and Pidge grumbled as metal scraped metal. Keith was about to say something when Blue roared, and everyone fell silence to watch as the glow in the lion’s eyes was reciprocated by the castle. Then the doors beneath began to open, and with a hum of approval and an, “I told you so,” Lance led the rest of the group inside.

 

The tunnels were now lit, and everyone gaped in hushed amazement as they flew further in. They reached another door that opened automatically, and the group emptied once again into the cavern that housed the Black lion. This time, though, as each of the lions landed, their eyes flashed. The opposite side of the cave gave way to reveal their separate hangars.

 

Blue quickly landed and deactivated, lowering down to allow Lance and Shiro to hop out. Pidge and Keith followed similarly.

 

“Okay, so like… now what? The castle lit up and said hello, but what about the red lion?” Hunk climbed out of Yellow, landing with a grunt.

 

Keith didn’t answer, instead opting to stand in front of the Red lion’s dock. The wall had crumbled partially due to the other doors sliding open, but Red’s was still firmly shut. Allura walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder, and after jumping smally, looked up at her.

 

“We’ll find it,” is all she said, with a smile, before walking back over to where the others had gathered. Keith shook himself. What’s years of work without a little setback? He walked back in on Shiro strategizing.

 

“Hunk, Pidge, is there any way you could extend the range of--”

 

“Only by a couple hundred feet, and even then, it won’t help if the signal is being jammed. Is there any other people on this planet that we could think of that has a huge, alien-tech red lion in their possession?” Pidge’s eyes flicked around the group, and Lance frowned.

 

“Uh, NASA?”

 

“No, I think I would know if someone like that existed.” Allura crossed her arms with a sigh.

 

“What about billionaires? Anyone have radar on a Bill Gates that has a hobby of aliens?”

 

“No, Hunk, I think if someone in the public’s eye got ahold of something like that it’d be all over the news,” Keith reasoned. A silence descended once again.

 

“What if… it’s the government?” Allura frowned deeply and looked to Lance. He seemed hesitant, but he continued, “I mean, think about it. Someone stumbles upon a gigantic alien tech. It’s--”

 

“Just like Area 51,” Keith murmured, thumb worrying his bottom lip as he thought. He blinked when he realized that no one said anything else. He glanced up to find them all staring at him. “What?”

 

“Keith, you know Area 51 isn’t an actual thing,” Allura began, and Keith’s confusion deepened.

 

“What do you mean? Isn’t that what they want you to think?”

 

“Uh, Keith--”

 

“We’re getting off-topic.” At Shiro’s huff, everyone snapped back into it. “We need to focus on governmental facilities that could--”

 

“We,” Allura interrupted, quite harshly, “are theorizing that our government may have covered up a discovery of the proof of aliens.” She swallowed thickly, “Do you all realize how dangerous this is?”

 

“It’s also dangerous if this government association that has the Red lion is also part of the bad guys. You know, the aliens. The evil ones.” Hunk looked around worriedly, pulled out Pidge’s laptop from his pack, and handed it over. Without preamble, Pidge opened it and began to type.

 

“Alright, so; it boils down to this: I’m probably gonna have to hack some highly coveted government data, so like--” Pidge gave everyone a thumbs up. “Don’t rat me out, guys.” Allura stuttered briefly as Pidge cracked their knuckles, and then began, fingers flying over the keyboard.

 

“P- _probably?”_

 

“No, not probably, Pidge is definitely hacking right now,” Keith answered, shrugging. “Besides, you’re already the head of NASA and yet you haven’t notified anyone of our discovery yet so--”

 

“This… this is much different. I can easily make an excuse of delayed information, after all.”

 

“It’s cool, I know how not to leave a digital fingerprint. Or at least, not one you can trace.”

 

“Whatever, you say…” Allura sighs into her hand.

 

Pidge’s typing is the loudest sound in the room, apart from Hunk settled next to Pidge, tinkering with the geiger. Every so often it makes a series of staccato beeps, and Lance, who is sitting directly behind Pidge and Hunk, would think it’s the game on his phone and get momentarily confused. Shiro walked over to the Black lion’s glyphs with Allura, debating in hushed voices about the origins and theory about Voltron. Keith stood in front of the lions.

 

“Hey,” he said to no one in particular, “do you think these hangar doors close back up automatically or… is there like a switch?” Without looking up from his game, Lance answers, though he doesn’t speak to Keith.

 

“Yo, Blue, you and your buds think you can handle that for us?” Keith threw Lance a look.

 

“Can they even--” He stopped short as the doors began to fall shut. And in a matter of seconds, they were sealed; a small cloud of dust settled at the impact. Keith crossed his arms. “Wow. Alright, cool.”

 

“Hey, it worked!” Lance pumped his arm, finally having glanced up from his game. “So, does that mean that they’re sent--” Pidge interrupted with a victorious yelp.

 

“I got it! The government aren’t directly responsible for the finding of the Red lion, but it seems that this organization, ‘Galra Enterprises,’ are involved, and the government covered for them.” Allura rushed over and peered at Pidges screen, gaping.

 

“Wh-what? And they didn’t inform NASA of the relation to the Voltron Project? But that’s--”

 

“Well, I only checked for keywords in the emails of multiple government employees… But their excuse was that the lion was so technologically advanced and intact that it couldn’t have fallen from the sky, and therefore couldn’t have been aliens. So no, no info was transferred.” Keith’s eyes widened.

 

“... Which is why there wasn’t a huge uproar, and no one has heard about it. So that, coupled with the suppression of information among higher-ups and the silencing of those with questions--”

 

“Leads to a total exploitation of the lion by this ‘Galra Enterprises,’” Lance finished. A heavy silence enveloped the room. They may have been able to pick up the pieces, but the Red lion was already found by someone years ago. Keith had been too late. Not to mention the fact that their plan only went so far as ‘hey guys, look at this cool alien tech let’s go find it and gather it together because there are evil aliens and they may be coming to earth soon,’ not ‘okay so the aliens may be here already and snagged the lion and we may need to break and enter into a super high-tech governmentally-funded facility.’ Keith groaned.

 

A light noise of something splashing reached Keith’s ears, and he looked around tentatively. There were no puddles around, just the patches of crystal and the alien metal doors. He frowned. The only water was near the front of the cave, or from the little stream that trickled by in the tunnels right before this clearing. His attention was pulled back in, though, when Pidge started again.

 

“Well, these emails are all dated around 13 years ago,” Pidge said, adjusting their glasses. They began to type rapidly again. “13 years--technology has advanced pretty damn far in that time, so it’s likely that between then and now they would have had to relocate. So if I just…” A few minutes of tense anticipation and rapid tacking, and then-- “Got it. There’s a facility that was built about 2 years ago with some threat money, called--”

 

“GECC,” a voice said, and Keith’s blood ran cold. “Or, in other words, Galra Enterprises’ new and improved HQ.” Everyone turned to the entrance, to see a stocky man approach them. Ironically, he was in a suit; Keith would be way less suspicious of this guy if he was sweating buckets. But he wasn’t.

 

“... Anyone else wondering why this guy just appeared?” Lance was shushed by Keith, and Shiro just rubbed his temples. Allura stepped forward.

 

“Hello, Mr. Sendak,” She said, hesitantly, gaze flicking from Lance back up to the person advancing toward them. “What brings you to--”

 

“Please, cut the talk, Allura. I’m sure we both have places to be…” He made a show of looking around her, especially at Shiro and his prosthetic. “Or well, I would think so; that the head of NASA would be conducting her job. Not on a date with an employee.” Allura cleared her throat loudly, and Keith raised his eyebrows and glanced at the older man. Shiro just frowned, his face flushing.

 

“I can assure you, Sendak,” she said, sarcasm dripping from her words, “there is no such thing going on here. Is this what all your dates look like? Because I’m sure there’s a reason you haven’t given your last name to someone yet.” Hunk gasped, and Pidge ‘ooo’-ed softly. Lance gaped, eyes trading from Allura to Sendak and then back.

 

“Well then, I’m sure if you had thought through what you could say as an excuse, you’d have taken the bait. Instead, here we are, mysteriously crowded in a cavern deep in the Forest of Lions.” Allura blanched, and  Sendak smirked. “Is there a reason these ruins suddenly lit up approximately two hours ago?”

 

“That’s--I’m just conducting some field research, and Shiro--Shirogane happened to accompany me.” Shiro nodded. “The kids are--”

 

“Keith here is my little brother,” Shiro said quickly, indicating as he gripped Keith’s shoulder, “and the other three are his friends who are also very knowledgeable in the--”

 

“Keith? Keith Chang? The son of the two researchers who perished in a flight accident?” It was Keith’s turn to pale, and Shiro’s fingertips dug into his jacket lightly. Sendak motioned behind him, and another person appeared with what appeared to be a manilla folder. A messy, worn, moth-eaten manilla folder, with papers practically spilling out of it. Keith started slightly, breath stopping. Sendak opened it, and a few notes spilled out--written in red ink; the entire group froze as they realized whose handwriting it was. “Voltron, huh? That sure sounds interesting… but what’s this about an ‘alien robotic lion?’ Wasn’t this… _classified_ government information?”

 

“Sendak,” Allura tried, “this information was declassified years ago--”

 

“Oh, no. I’m afraid you’re wrong, Allura. And sharing this classified information with a civilian--no, civilian _s_ …” Sendak looked over, his purple eyes sweeping the group. “Unfortunately, I’ll have to arrest you all.”

 

“Uh, you can’t do that! My mom will _definitely_ \--” Pidge elbowed Lance in the ribs, and more of Sendak’s henchmen appeared, this time with cuffs. He gestured with his chin, and they rushed forward, surrounding everyone.

 

“Allura, Shirogane; I’m arresting you both for giving classified information to these civilians and trespassing on government property. Keith Kogane, you not only stole government property, you accessed confidential files. The rest of you are accessory to crime. I’d read you your rights, but--”

 

“Wait--Those files are all _mine_.” Keith glared at Sendak, stepping forward beside Allura. “They were abandoned in the woods--you can’t convict me of--”

 

“Actually, I can. In fact, I think I’ll add on theft as well.” Keith recoiled, his face screwing up, and Shiro stepped up to join them.

 

“Sir, I do think you’re being too harsh with punishments--especially for these teens, here--”

 

“With all due respect,” Sendak growled, reaching his full height and coming chest-to-chest with Shiro, “I don’t _care_.” He nodded, and all the men advanced.

 

Allura immediately dodged the cuff, twisting and kicking her assailant away; Shiro straight up punched his, Sendak as well, and Hunk just turned and ran, to help Lance as two henchmen aimed for him. Pidge lunged for their laptop but was caught; though they struggled immediately, they couldn’t get free.

 

“Keith! The laptop!” Keith ran toward it and took out his dagger, turned the computer over and stabbed the blade straight into what looked like a slot. Immediately the laptop started beeping, and Pidge sighed in relief. Keith was suddenly tackled from behind, and his hands were wrenched behind his back.

 

He looked up as the cuffs clicked, and saw Lance and Hunk being led out. Shiro was brought to his knees when he was triple-teamed, with Sendak twisted his prosthetic arm. Allura ran to him as he grunted in pain--and was promptly captured as well.

 

“Well then, now that’s that over,” Sendak’s feet entered Keith’s field of vision, and he stooped to pull the two of them face-to-face. Keith struggled lightly as Sendak’s grip tightened in his hair, and the manilla folder was shoved forward. “Let’s head to HQ, shall we? I’m sure there’s much more you can tell us, than what you’ve written here.”

 

{--+--}

 

Pidge was hustled into the same car as Keith, while Lance and Hunk were in the one behind and Shiro and Allura were in front. Sendak himself was taken lead car. They were given added restraints, a bind for their legs as soon as they entered the vehicle, and another around their stomachs to limit their range of motion that attached to the handcuffs.

 

It looked like your typical police car on the inside; wires all around the dash, along with a gps and internal computer where the stereo should be. A caged between the front seats and backseat. But the outside of the cars was sleek black, and Keith had an inkling that they weren’t going to be given due process.

 

Not that they _were_ innocent (not to bad guys); but come on, even so, a bit of spelunking and the discovery of some super high-tech alien lions doesn’t exactly have a law written against it. Keith sighed, shifting his shoulders. Pidge had been cuffed in the front, so they sat comfortably, but Keith still had his restrained behind; it was really, _really_ uncomfortable. And on top of that, he was pretty sure these seat belts were locked. Talk about overkill.

 

“Hey, driver, can you please re-cuff my hands in front? My shoulders are seriously aching.” Pidge snickered lightly when the guy didn’t respond, and he growled. “Excuse me? Hey!” The guy glanced up briefly in the rearview mirror.

 

“No.”

 

Keith huffed, scooting up in the seat a little, and hunched forward. He wiggled his hands. “Well, can I at least have you untie my hands from my back so I can--”

 

_“ No._ ”

 

“I didn’t even fini--”

 

“ _No._ I will not help you.”

 

Keith rolled his neck, cracking it, biting his tongue. In all honesty, he didn’t much care about being uncomfortable, but something about this wasn’t right. Obviously. Pidge moved closer slightly, but he stared straight ahead.

 

“Keith,” he whispered, “you wiped the laptop, right?”

 

“Yeah.” Keith’s eyes flickered briefly over Pidge’s figure in the corner of his eye, then back up front. “Why’d you want me to do that, anyway?”

 

“You know how I told you about those series of things that I did that I wasn’t supposed to do?” Keith frowned.

 

“That’s like, everything?”

 

“Well, yeah, that’s true, but there are like, even more things that I didn’t tell you that are totally more severe. That’s why.” They shifted, leaning down to their hands to push up their glasses. “Also because it has all the information on it about Voltron that you have, plus everything we figured out.”

 

“Pidge, I _told_ you, you shouldn’t have hacked that one foreign ambassador’s--”

 

“Quiet! No speaking,” the driver spat, and Keith and Pidge straightened.

 

“I assume it’s a given that none of us talk?” Pidge didn’t have to elaborate on what they were referring to. Keith was completely sure Shiro and Allura wouldn’t spill, and although less certain of Lance and Hunk, he believed in them as well. Not like he even had a choice, though.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“I said shut up! Or do you want Sendak to tape your mouths, too?” Keith rolled his eyes and Pidge stuck their tongue out.

 

Nevertheless, the rest of their ride was in silence. As the minutes trickled into an hour, and the hour trickled into more than one, Keith started to grow not only more restless, but also angry. He had watched the trees turn into fields, and then the fields turn into a town; and then just like that, more trees.

 

“Okay, where the hell are we going?” The driver grunted, and this time turned around as they reached a stoplight.

 

“Kid, do you think I give a shit about--” This time, Pidge cut him off.

 

“Where is GECC?”

 

“Listen, you--”

 

“How long until we get there?” Keith shifted again, trying to get comfortable. The guy suddenly sighed, banging his head on the top of the steering wheel. Then, when the car in front of him moved forward again, he gassed it, stopping just short of rear-ending the other car and sending Pidge and Keith to jerk painfully.

 

“It’s a 3 hour drive. We have a half hour left.”

 

_“T _h_ anks _,” Keith all but hissed, and turned to look back out the window. Still the same trees.

 

When he was _sure_ it had been more than thirty minutes and closer to an hour, the cars suddenly came upon a series of wire fences. Keith leaned into the middle of the vehicle to see the gate open; and the first two cars ahead of them in their escort drive through.

 

Pidge suddenly pressed into Keith’s side, and Keith glanced down; they both knew what could be in store for them. After all, when dealing with aliens, what’s not to be scared of?

 

A building suddenly came into view, and Keith gaped. It was, first of all, unlike anything he had ever seen; the entire building was a sleek black substance, probably some strain of rare rock or maybe even metal. There were no windows, from what Keith could tell, and out of the corner of his eye, even Pidge seemed astounded.

 

“There’s… that’s--I’ve run surveillance on the entire continent, and I’ve never detected anything like _this.”_ They leaned down, and scrubbed their eyes, but they only grew wider when Pidge glanced back up.

 

“Of course. This building is a radio deadzone. No satellites pick it up--no one knows it’s here except for us. And now, you.” The driver speaks with an almost smug tone in his voice, but one piece of that sentence still rings inside Keith’s head. Radio deadzone.

 

_This is where they’re keeping the Red lion._

 

The cars pulled into a garage, and they’re engulfed in darkness. Keith tensed, trying to look to where Pidge is. All he can see is black, even though he can feel his friend right there. Just when he thought he’d start to panic, just when he thought all this would get to him--a sensation bubbled up from inside him; and for the first time in ages, he felt alright. It was a certain kind of warmth, as if he was cocooned inside a cloud; a feeling that thrummed inside his ribcage. A feeling that said, _everything will be fine._

 

“Keith,” Pidge said, breaking him out of the sensation--Keith turned to hear more, but before he could the doors of the car flew open, and he was being dragged out. From the noise around him, he could tell that everyone else was getting the same treatment; he struggled in vain, as the grip on his arm only turned bruising. Shiro’s voice echoed around the space.

 

“Stay strong!” Keith tried to twist out of the grip, listening for Pidge or Lance or anyone else; but then the wind was knocked out of him as someone socked him in the stomach. He wheezed terribly, sinking to his knees. And then Sendak snarled close by Keith’s ear.

 

“I’m sure you know what we have here, _boy_ ; and you’re going to tell me everything you know about it.”

  
He gasped as something pinched in his neck terribly; and then everything melted away, even as a distantly familiar roar echoed in his ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> duh-duh-duh, there it is.
> 
> My glorious curveball. But could you guess?
> 
> Anyway, Sorry for the terrible updating schedule. Finals kinda hit me like a truck going 80 mph down the highway and I was the poor bunny that got caught in the headlights. Terrible analogies aside, it's pretty damn late for me right now so this is pretty much launching without an edit. I'll check back to do so later. Happy Holidays, guys! I wanna write So Many other Klance but I promised myself I'd finish this one first...


	12. The Result of Alienation

It was… odd, to say the least. Keith was aware that he had been knocked out, and he could feel Sendak’s men moving him to a different place. But he couldn’t do anything about it--he was completely immobile. He couldn’t open his eyes to see or even hear what was going on around him. It was as if he had been dunked into a huge, black box filled with water.

 

It was about as pleasant as it was unpleasant; he tried to feel around for that _sensation_ again, the one he was sure was the Red lion--but whatever drug they had put in him did a good job at keeping Keith in the dark.

 

Just when he thought he was about to go crazy from the lack of stimulation and thinking about all the ways everything could go wrong, he gained back the feeling in his fingertips. And gradually his senses returned; he relaxed considerably when he could feel the thrumming of the lion in the back of his head, until all that was left was for him to open his eyes. So he did.

 

The light assaulted him; it was bright, and he couldn’t see very far--but it was definitely an upgrade to being half-unconscious. All he could gather was that he was bound to a chair in a room, a room no bigger than a couple feet in any direction--with a glaring spotlight shining hot and bright above him, and two more to either side in front. Keith tried to peer out from under his eyelashes, but he could barely make out the figure in front of him due to the glare. Judging by the legs, though; stocky with well-polished shoes--his best guess would be Sendak.

 

“So. Now that you’re awake, mind telling us a little bit about your ‘adventure?’” Sendak scooted up to Keith, in a noticeably more comfortable chair. Keith lowered his head slightly, shading his eyes.

 

“‘Adventure?’” Keith grit his teeth. “Not an adventure. Just a stroll through the woods.” He grunted as Sendak seized his bangs, and yanked his head up.

 

“‘Just a stroll,’ huh?” Sendak bared his teeth. “Where are they?” He shook Keith’s head harshly.

 

“You’re gonna have to be a bit more specific--what’s _they?”_

 

“You know very well what I’m referring to, _child,”_ Sendak growled, coming closer until he was barely an inch from Keith’s face. His nostrils flared.

 

“Listen, Sendak, _sir,”_ Keith all but spat, “unless you want me to tell you just where in the world elephants live, I think you might want to _clarify_ yourself.” Sendak banged Keith’s head against the back of the metal chair, a dull sound echoing through the room. He released Keith and stalked back out of the light, kicking his own chair in frustration.

 

“I don’t need _you_ to tell me where _elephants_ are, you goddamn _kid.”_ Keith listened to his boots circle the light, his feet always exactly one inch from it. He didn’t follow Sendak with his eyes. “Tell me where the _fuck_ the rest of the lions are.” Keith blinked.

 

“The lions? Easy, same place as the elephants--”

 

 _“Don’t_ fuck _with me!”_ Keith was suddenly face-to-face with Sendak again, and despite himself, he flinched. Sendak smirked, hands rest on Keith’s forearms. “I know you have the four _Voltron_ lions.” Keith bit the inside of his cheek.

 

“Four? I thought there were five?” Sendak put all his weight onto Keith, his nails digging into skin. Keith took a deep breath. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard a rumble. Sendak suddenly sighed, pulling back to leave ten crescent-shaped cuts.

 

“I have to say, your effort is admirable.” He stepped into the darkness, and all Keith saw was a yellow glint in his eyes. “Are your _‘friends’_ the same? Let’s see how quickly your resolve crumbles.”

 

{--+--}

 

A couple hours had passed since Sendak’s footsteps had disappeared behind the soft hiss of the door. At least, it felt like a couple hours. That’s what Keith’s stomach was telling him.

 

In the time since then, he tried to meditate; to focus on the pull in the back of his mind and try not to freak out. He knew the game of psychological warfare all too well--but... he’s never been subjected to it. No matter how many times he told himself not to, his thoughts kept drifting back to the others. Lance, Allura, Shiro, Pidge, Hunk--what Sendak and his men might do, are doing, will do--it’s overwhelming. All over a bunch of space lions.

 

He had to wonder if they’ll ever get out of this. And if they do, what then? Are they doomed to be pursued by Sendak for the rest of their lives--and what of the lions? Keith definitely wouldn’t be able to ignore the pull of Red, and he knew as soon as he stepped foot in the place he wasn’t leaving without her. He huffed into the empty room, the light beginning to unnerve him. In any case, at least his hands weren’t bound behind his back anymore.

 

Keith’s heart leapt to his throat when he heard the door slide open; and then it sank to the pit of his stomach when the same boots as before tread on the floor. He focused determinedly on his knees.

 

“Your friends were very helpful, you know,” Sendak started, sitting down once again. He rolled forward until his boots gleamed, but no further. “I had to be very _persuasive,_ though…” Keith barely breathed. “That lanky friend of yours--what’s his name? Francs? Had to _draw_ it out of him, if you catch my drift.”

 

“Francs?” Keith schooled his face into something more neutral, even as his heart pounded painfully. “Nope, never heard of him. Y’sure you didn’t mistakenly--”

 

“I _know_ you have the lions. I _will_ find out where you hid them--and to do that, I only need one of you.” Sendak swung out of the room, and Keith hunched over, worrying his lip and trying to control his breathing. There’s no way Lance told. No way--no way that any of them told. Sendak was just grasping at straws. He’s playing a game. He glanced at the dried blood that had risen from the cuts on his forearm.

 

Keith closed his eyes, not even able to rest them with the glaring bright lights. He was in for a long night.

 

{--+--}

 

Twice more Sendak rushed into Keith’s cell, said some vaguely threatening things, and then left. Twice more Sendak told Keith his friends were being injured, or that one was dead. Many more times, in the silence of that room, Keith felt himself lose his grip.

 

Each time, though, he pulled himself together. He’s been through worse. He can handle this.

 

Sendak was getting desperate. Keith could tell by the tone of his voice, the flash of the whites of his eyes as he whipped around to yell, by the way he rushed around without grace and control and even more with the aura of a madman.

 

That was all Keith held onto as time dragged on--it was the only sliver of proof he had that his friends weren’t talking. He didn’t want to think about the fact that maybe none of them _could_ talk anymore.

 

And then, Sendak returned once again. Keith caught sight of the glint of something metal, and he willed his heart to still as he forced himself to look lazily up at Sendak.

 

“You’re lucky, you know,” he said softly into the room. It echoed eerily, causing Keith’s skin to crawl. “Haggar likes to drag everything out, waiting for your mind to break.” He stepped forward into the light, and Keith finally saw what he had; a crowbar. “I’m not so patient. I won’t give you a chance to break. In any case, I suggest you get talking.”

 

Keith wet his lips, watching as Sendak rolled up his sleeves. He rested the crowbar against Keith’s legs, prolonging the suspense. It was kind of ironic, in all honesty; Keith remembered fishing for parts in the junkyard, Pidge somewhere behind him. He remembered finding an unrusted crowbar, and using that to pry the parts he needed from the old spacecrafts or reaching under to places his fingers couldn’t even touch. And now, well… his opinion of crowbars was about to change.

 

Keith closed his eyes briefly; he hoped that none of the others had been subject to this. And if they had, not only was there no way in hell Keith would talk--but he certainly wasn’t letting this piece of shit get away with it. Something that felt like a purr reverberated through his chest. It seemed like _pride._

 

“You know why I’m in charge of this facility?” Sendak picked up the bar and turned it in his grip, purposefully reflecting the light into Keith’s face.

 

“Because you paid your way in, like the shitty, no good person you are,” he retorted. Sendak bared his teeth, seeming to lose his composure, and the sharp end of the crowbar inched closer and closer to Keith’s cheek. Then, it lowered, and Sendak sighed, tapping Keith’s thigh.

 

“It doesn’t matter what you think, anyway; you’re just a damn kid that no one cares about.” Keith clenched his jaw and glared, even as Sendak raised his hand. “Be happy, though; you’ll meet your foolish parents soon.”

 

All Keith saw was the flash of metal from the bar and the taste of iron as blood filled his mouth. He reeled from the impact, his vision flickering back even as spots danced around the corners. He felt a trickle of liquid fall into his eyebrow, and then skirt to the corner of his eye. Sendak grasped his hair again.

 

“I knew your parents, you know. They wore that same look you have now on the day they died.” Keith spat the blood in his mouth on Sendak’s jacket, and Sendak made a face. “All for their ‘precious son,’ who in the end is gonna die like a dog.” He raised the bar again, and Keith snarled at him.

 

“My parents--what the hell do you know about my parents!? You’ve--” Keith’s ears rang with the impact his time, and he coughed.

 

“I know a lot more about things than you think, you disgusting _human.”_ Sendak leaned in close. “Not you, not your ‘friends’--none of you will ever leave--” Keith started as the alarm suddenly rang, and then something rumbled in the facility. Someone burst in the room.

 

“Commander! Someone blew up the main garage door!” Sendak hissed, and Keith tried to see who had entered, but all he could do was hear the two of them shuffling beyond the light.

 

“What the fuck do you _mean_ ‘somebody,’ Haxus!?” The door shut, and Keith heard their footsteps fade as Sendak roared, “Kill them! You know what’s at stake!”

 

Keith sat there for a little while longer, trying to settle the massive headache and blink the blood away. He wondered if he could leave the cell. The crowbar was lying abandoned not even a foot in front of him--there was certainly a way to open the door from the inside, as well as the outside. Keith sighed, closing his eyes and trying to think past the ringing in his ears and the pressure in his head; but his thoughts kept drifting back to Sendak’s words. He had been called a commander; and he had used ‘human,’ as if he wasn’t one.

 

Suddenly, Keith stood; he thanked whatever higher power existed that these stupid men hadn’t bound his feet to his chair or to themselves. He lumbered awkwardly to the crowbar and was able to kneel down and pick it up, and finally he was out of the light. Blinking, he let his eyes adjust.

 

To his right there was a door; but it didn’t appear to have a doorknob or even a keypad. Keith frowned and walked up to it, trying to inspect it further--but it slid open on its own, startling Keith.

 

“Holy shi--” He stumbled backwards and found himself sitting back on the chair. Keith couldn’t help the sigh of relief as he saw Lance standing there. His friend’s face twisted from relief to horror.

 

“Oh jesus--Keith what’d they _do_ to you? Oh man, my mom is totally gonna kill me--us--me especially, if I bring you home like _this.”_ Lance rushed forward, gripping his sleeve and wiping the blood from Keith’s forehead. Keith froze momentarily at the contact, face heating up as Lance's thumb brushed his eyebrow. Keith couldn't help but stare, his legs going weak with relief to see Lance in the flesh after agonizing for what felt like  _years_ over whether or not the other was alive. Lance's eyes glimmered with concern, and Keith let Lance's touch linger for a moment.

 

“Uh, Lance--” Lance paused, fixing his gaze on Keith's, and Keith blinked because _how could he forget how pretty they were--_  “Uh--” But then Keith’s cheeks were being smushed together, so he couldn’t talk. Lance held up a finger and Keith shook him off; feeling the same mortifying heat run up to his cheeks. Then Lance saw the bar in Keith’s hands.

 

“Did--did they hit you with that?” Keith nodded, and Lance pinched the bridge of his nose. 

 

“Lance. Lance.” Lance looked up, and Keith’s face softened slightly. “Untie me.”

 

“Oh, right.” He grabbed the bar and used the sharp end to undo the rope. “You know for some high-class criminal-types they really don’t have much style or finesse.” Keith snorted and stood up, but Lance caught him by the shoulders. A hand traveled through Keith’s fringe, and he winced, but only really felt how Lance's touch was feather-light. “You sure you’re good?”

 

“I’ll--I'll be fine,” Keith assured him, clearing his throat and taking Lance’s wrist. He guided the hand away from his head. “Let’s split up. We need to find the others--By the way, how’d you get out?”

 

“Uh, okay; one: Not splitting up, two: Coran, and three: _We’re_ going to find the Red lion.” Lance took Keith by the wrist and started running down the hall. The sirens blared annoyingly around them, rattling Keith’s brain.

 

“Wait--Coran? No, Lance--who--Shiro--?”

 

“Coran is Allura’s secretary--Allura had a little beeper thing that she can push when she’s in trouble and it transmits her location. Coran found me when he burst into the facility, then went off to get the others. I found you; we’re going to get the Red lion.” They turned a corner and ran straight into some grunts. “Uh, okay, not this way--”

 

“Yes this way,” Keith said, feeling his connection to the lion strengthen slightly. He pulled the crowbar from Lance’s hands and rushed at the men; 4 of them, and was able to knock out two before the rest pulled their guns. Lance straight-up punched one of the two still left and wrenched his gun from his hands, and then Keith hit the other’s weapon to send it skidding across the floor.

 

Lance pointed the gun straight at the guy’s face, and he put his hands up. Keith relaxed a little, but still readied the bar. Then, Lance lowered the gun and shot the guy in the thigh. Keith blinked.

 

“Lead the way, Keith.” Lance picked up the other gun and spun it in his hands, and Keith nodded.

 

“Where’d you learn to do that?”

 

“What?” Keith gestured to the guns, even as they ran through the hall.

 

“That!”

 

“Oh!” Lance pulled Keith to a stop at a T intersection of the halls, and he barely escaped a bullet. Lance peeked around the corner and pulled back as they began to fire. “Uh, my uncle had a ranch in the country, and we used to visit it a lot in the summer until my father’s work got busy. Also,” he quickly dashed across the middle and fired two shots, followed by two dull thuds, then gestured for Keith to follow, “nerf guns and videogames.” Keith didn't know if he could believe it or not; but he could certainly see Lance and his siblings creeping around with nerf guns, lying in wait. He smiled at the mental image.

 

Like that they made their way throughout the facility, Keith’s excitement growing all the while. Now the Red lion was a solid presence in the back of his mind, not just a flicker. And finally, finally--

 

Keith pressed his hand against the panel of an important-looking door, and Keith dashed inside, smiling up at the robotic lion. He felt it even stronger than before, and began to walk up to it. A purr resounded from the Red lion, vibrating through his chest and making his fingertips tingle. It looked just as magnificent as the other three lions--even better than he imagined. Just as he was about to touch the barrier--

 

“Freeze!” Keith inhaled sharply and looked over to where a very angry Sendak stood, with some kind of… gun. It didn’t look like any type of gun he knew. Sendak advanced into the room slowly, inching step by step. “If you touch that lion, I’ll kill you.” Keith smirked.

 

“What was that you said to me earlier? ‘You won’t ever leave?’” Keith snorted and felt Lance shift behind him. It happened all in a flash; Lance popped up quickly around Keith and fired at Sendak, Keith touched the barrier--and Sendak fired as well. It definitely wasn’t a gun--it’s bullet looked like a laser, like something out of a Star Wars movie. Keith didn’t have too much time to contemplate this, though; Red quickly dropped so that Keith and Lance could get in, Sendak’s shot grazing Keith’s arm--but Sendak wasn’t so lucky. Lance’s bullet ripped right into his right shoulder, and he went down. Red’s mouth closed as more grunts entered the room, and Keith slid forward in the pilot’s seat.

 

He grinned widely at finally having his lion; and he could tell Red was elated as well, if not a bit peeved that Keith had taken so long. The lion stomped harshly and let out a roar--and Lance whooped. Keith frowned down at Sendak; he didn’t know if it was Red’s screen messing with him, or if Sendak was… _glitching._

 

A few seconds of disturbance, and Sendak was suddenly bigger, furrier, and more purple. Keith gaped.

 

“What--Keith, tell me you see that too! What the hell is that!?” Lance’s finger pointed straight as Sendak. Keith shook his head. It certainly explained a hell of a lot, though.

 

“Red--can you locate everyone?” The lion rumbled, and Keith saw four dots appear on the screen. Keith nodded. “Time to pick them up.”

 

Lance gripped the chair just in time as Red leapt out of the facility, and Keith sped onwards to collect and regroup. He broke into another hall, revealing Pidge’s lone figure still tied to the chair. Lance jumped out quickly and freed them.

 

“About time,” they grumbled, but still smiled at Keith in the pilot’s chair.  Red then pulled back out to look for Shiro. It looked like Allura was with him, along with Hunk and another guy Keith assumed was Coran; they were currently speeding away on the map--and on the horizon, in a jeep.

 

“Keith! More of Sendak’s henchmen are pursuing them!” Pidge pointed at the corners of the screen. From their vantage point in the air, Keith could see them gaining.

 

“Oh! I know, Keith grab them!” Lance pointed eagerly in their direction. Keith gave him a confused look.

 

“You mean just--”

 

“Just scoop ‘em! In Red’s jaw!”

 

“Uh,” Pidge adjusted their glasses, “is that safe?”

 

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Lance shrugged and Pidge opened their mouth to explain, but Keith angled Red down.

 

“Alright, then.” Keith came up behind the jeep and carefully lowered the lion and matched the jeep’s speed. He urged Red to be gentle, and then she opened wide to pick them up. With a bit of a crunch, the jeep was easily plucked from the ground, wheels spinning in air.

 

“Nice catch!” Lance laughed over the sounds of screaming (loudest of all Hunk), and then Keith spurred Red faster, heading quickly towards the abandoned castle of lions. In that time Keith relayed to the crew in the car that they weren’t going to die, and that they were heading back.

 

Keith sighed and closed his eyes, finally feeling a wave of dizziness take over. Lance put a hand on his shoulder and Keith immediately snapped out of it, grinning sheepishly up. Pidge sighed loudly somewhere behind them, and they both glanced backward.

 

“What happened to you, Keith? I thought I told you not to get into anymore fistfights.” Keith just laughed, adrenaline causing it to sound rushed and slightly maniacal.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”

 

{--+--}

 

Lance found a first-aid kit when he was rooting through the rest of the Red lion (“Lance! Stop going through my shit!” “Uh, no? You’re bleeding?” “I’m pretty sure it’s stopped, anyway! Just--” “Oh, is this the first aid kit?  ...Nope.” “Lance!”), and in the 20 minutes it took for them to fly back allowed Lance to find just what he was looking for and force it on Keith.

 

“Lance! I don’t fucking need it!” Keith pushed at him, one hand on the controls as Lance tried to come at him with a bandage.

 

“You definitely need it, you asshole! Your head, your arm--just put it on!”

 

“No! I need to steer, I don’t--”

 

Pidge finally stood up, marched over, giving Keith a Look. They had a staring contest for about 3 minutes, Lance looking back and forth as Pidge’s expression remained unchanged. Keith’s frown grew deeper and deeper, until finally, Keith huffed and admitted defeat. Lance took care of Keith’s head and Pidge focused on his arm.

 

Keith fidgeted as they worked, still unused to people fretting so much over him. Pidge did when they met; but that had been few times and far between, and he couldn't help but be acutely aware of how Lance breathed and moved, so close to him. Honestly, he wasn't gonna die because of an alien; he can see it now: Death by Lance.

 

“This is what punishment naughty children get for fighting,” Pidge said, and Keith stuck his tongue out at them, glad to be distracted.

 

“Shut up. You’re like, 12.”

 

“Wow, you’re starting to sound like Lance.” Keith gave them a withering look, but Pidge only grinned, elbowing Lance hard in the ribs. Lance doubled over with a startled grunt, and the two of them watched as Pidge went back to tinkering with something.

 

“Your friend is scary sometimes,” Lance whispered, and Keith nodded.

 

“I’m consistently reminded how glad I am Pidge is my friend, and not my enemy.”

 

{--+--}

 

They finally arrived back at the ruins, Red flying seamlessly down into the hangar and placing the jeep down carefully. Shiro, Allura, Hunk, and this older looking guy with orange hair open the door and stumbled out. Keith, Lance, and Pidge left Red, and the team convened in the middle.

 

“Nice flying, Keith,” Shiro said, clapping the teen on the back. Then his hand moved into Keith’s fringe and he peered at the bandage. Keith waved the hand away.

 

“I’ll tell you later.”

 

“Keith! You found the Red lion!” Allura dashed forward and gripped his hands. “I’m so glad!” Keith couldn’t help but smile at her. “Oh! And everyone, this is Coran.” She let go of Keith and pointed to the other man, and he perked up.

 

“Yes! Hello, Allura’s told me a lot about you all!” Keith’s mind wandered slightly as he tried to figure out exactly where that man was from. Australia? New Zealand? Lance rushed forward to shake his hand.

 

“Well! Thanks for saving us, Coran. Don’t know what we would’ve done without you.” Coran nodded, smiling wide and proud at him. Keith looked around briefly for Pidge and Hunk, and found them both a ways away at the edge of the clearing. Pidge was rubbing circles on Hunk’s back, and the other, Keith guessed by the way he was hunched over and the sounds he was making, was throwing up.

 

“Okay guys, listen up. Let’s hurry and free the Black lion,” Allura said. “Sendak won’t stop until he has all of Voltron, and we have to act fast.”

 

“Oh yeah, about Sendak,” Keith popped in, faltering slightly as he thought. How should he break the news? In the end, he gave a mental shrug. “Well, Sendak’s one of those evil aliens.”

 

“Evil aliens!?” Everyone turned to see Hunk staring at the group with a terrified expression. “Sendak!? An evil alien!?”

 

“Yeah--”

 

“It’s true, man! Keith and I saw him turn into this huge purple furry monster!”

 

“Oh god, this is too much. I didn’t actually _believe_ that the bad alien guys were here on _Earth--_ ”

 

“Alright! Alright, guys. Get it together, listen up.” Pidge helped Hunk stand, and the two of them made their way over. Coran didn’t look too shell-shocked, so he must’ve known at least about the aliens part. Which is like, all of it. Shiro continued. “Sendak will be here as soon as he can be. We have to be ready for him. Everyone--let’s get the Black lion.”

 

The four of them--Keith, Pidge, Hunk, and Lance--all ran quickly to their respective lions and gathered around Black’s door. Then, as one, they all roared; just as their eyes glowed. With a great rumble, the Black lion was revealed; it stepped forward and repeated the roar, the cave echoing it loudly. The crystals seemed to grow brighter, as if welcoming the robot; Allura clapped excitedly and Shiro couldn’t help but smile. He climbed on up to the lion and his face showed up on everyone’s screens not a second later.

 

“Wow,” Shiro said, and Keith could see him looking around at his dash and the screen with huge eyes. He cleared his throat. “Okay, we need to figure out--”

 

A slideshow of images were transferred into their minds in quick succession; first, of all of the lions combining miraculously to form Voltron, and another sequence that revealed the true identity of these ruins.

 

“Yo, did everyone else see that?” Hunk was looking around his cockpit warily, as if something from the shadows would leap out at him at any time.

 

“What the hell!? This castle is a _spaceship!?”_ Lance looked around at everyone else on his screen. “Did anyone else know about this?”

 

“Uh, no--”

 

“Nope.”

 

“Not me.”

 

“Focus, team.” Everyone looked expectantly to Shiro. Allura and Coran, who were still on the ground, looked at eachother in confusion.

 

“Um, would anyone care to tell us what’s going on?” Coran’s voice was definitely different than Allura’s. He cleared his throat nervously as he continued. “You, uh--what’s this about a spaceship?”

 

As Shiro explained, Allura’s face grew more and more excited.

 

“A spaceship! Wow, imagine that! All my life’s work, completed in an instant.” She looked up at the Black lion. “Do you have any idea how to get it to work?”

 

“Uh, well--No, not really. There has to be a control room, somewhere; let’s start by finding that…” Shiro jumped suddenly as Black moved on her own, and the lion walked up to another part of the wall. The robot leaned down and pressed her nose to the rock; it suddenly cracked and fell away, revealing another door that slid open. “Okay. So, I guess this is the way.”

 

It was too small for the lions to go through, so Shiro had to leave the Black lion and walk with Allura and Coran deeper into the ship.

 

“Stay here, guys. We’ll be right back.” And with that, they disappeared in the dimness of the corridor. Keith frowned, a bit worried but knowing that they really wouldn’t run into trouble. Besides, their trouble was a 3 hour car ride away.

 

Blue walked up to the door and stuck her nose in. “You guys--how big do you think this castle-spaceship thing is?” Keith raised an eyebrow, but Pidge answered.

 

“Either way, if we can get it to light up--we’ll figure it out.”

 

“Yeah, but that’s gonna be a while. Let’s make bets, right here, right now.” Lance thought hard for a bit as Blue stopped sniffing around and faced the rest of the team. “I make my wager of $20 for the size of _huge.”_

 

“What--”

 

“Of course it’s huge!” Keith crossed his arms. “You just want money. No, let’s all give specific size measurements.” Pidge nodded, but then frowned.

 

“Alright, but what kind of measurement are we evaluating this in? Floor area? All around space? A square dimension of the longest points on both sides that are perpendicular?”

 

“Also,” Hunk chimed, “what units of measurements are we talking in? I can do both meters and feet, but I like meters better.”

 

“And what about the orientation of the ship? If we do a height by width kinda thing, what would be the top and--” Lance cut Keith off with a groan.

 

“Jesus christ you all are so technical! Forget I said anything.” Lance was quiet for a moment. Then, “Do you think they have _alien_ measurements?”

 

This sparked a whole debate on what aliens do differently, and Keith laughed for what felt like the first time in ages. He was tired and worn out from interrogation, but the way they argued brought him a sense of normalcy, as if they weren’t being pursued by a crazed purple furry from deep in the cosmos, and they weren’t currently piloting these huge alien war lions. Keith could close his eyes, and he could imagine that they were all hanging out in his shack, just talking. Man, perception sure can fuck you up.

 

“No, listen to me--I’m being serious!” Hunk was currently in a rant about sporks, in conjunction with alien civilization. “Just think about how advanced this technology is! _Why_ would they have anything _but_ sporks? I bet they have an amazing array of different foods too!”

 

“I just want to figure out all this cool tech. It’d be neat if I could replicate it somehow, and maybe even learn to modify it one day…” Pidge looked at Hunk. “You’re a lot better with engines and figuring out how stuff works, Keith’s a pro at putting things together from scratch, and I’m good with data. We could totally do it.”

 

“What about me? What am I supposed to do when all of you hang out and work on projects?” Lance stuck out his lower lip. Hunk laughed lightly.

 

“C’mon bro, you can just do what you always do! Test drive!”

 

“I mean--I’m down, but I’m also not a crash-test dummy. Remember that one time you fixed up that old model bird with your brother, and you had me drive it--and then it ran into a tree?”

 

“Oh god, yeah… That poor car…”

 

“Uh! Excuse you, more like poor _me?_ I was the one who ended up with a concussion!”

 

“Yeah, but there were only about 100 models worldwide of that car left! It’s--”

 

“Well, I hope that number soon turns to zero,” Lance said, narrowing his eyes at Hunk. The other gasped.

 

“Lance, you take that back.”

 

“Nope.”

 

“After all the food my mom has made for you, the way she slaved away and sprinkled her dishes with love--how could you say that to me?” Hunk pouted dramatically, and Lance looked away, clenching his fist.

 

“You… Every single time, you use that against me.” Hunk smirked, and Pidge started to snicker. “I can’t believe this utter underhandedness. Hunk, I thought you were better than that.”

 

“Lance, you were going 13 mph when you hit that tree. I was _surprised_ you even got a concussion.”

 

“Those birds really don’t have any safety! No wonder they got taken off the road.” Keith burst out laughing, and everyone stopped to look.

 

“You were going 13 _miles per hour?_ And you _crashed?”_ Keith dissolved back into a fit, and Pidge giggled along with him. Lance’s face grew red.

 

“Hey! That was--that was 4 years ago! It’s not my fault the steering was faulty and it was a terrible car!”

 

“Oh no,” Hunk said, “It wasn’t the steering _or_ the car. Lance legitimately let this beautiful, newly restored car just _roll_ into an oak tree.”

 

“You make it sound so bad, I wasn’t--”

 

“That’s because it _was_ bad!”

 

“It wasn’t!”

 

“It so was!”

 

“You--”

 

Hunk and Lance were cut off as the ruins around them started to hum, and cracks appeared along the walls that were still intact. They all jumped when Allura appeared on their screens, waving.

 

“Hello! We figured out how to power the ship! It’s going to take some time, however...” Coran came up behind her, peering into the screen. Shiro was a ways away, looking at something to their left.

 

“How nifty! I can see all of you, here--although you all are quite enlarged.” Coran lifted a finger to poke the hologram that was in front of him, but before he could the castle lit up even more around them. This time, it wasn’t due to the power-up; it was an alarm system.

 

“Uh, there’s a ship approaching! That can only be Sendak...” Allura squinted at something in the distance, and Shiro looked over.

 

“Crap!” And with that, he took off to the big door in the background, yelling something that sounded like, “I’m going to get to Black!” behind him. Allura began tacking away on the dash, and Coran wandered off to inspect something.

 

“I’m--transmitting the feed to your lions! I think,” she said uncertainly, but not a second later Sendak’s ship popped up on the screen. It was no bigger than Yellow, but it was sleek and purple, and had more laser guns.

 

“What does he intend to do?” Pidge squinted at the image. “Does he wanna destroy the lions?”

 

“Let’s find out later,” Keith said, watching the castle lights glow even brighter as more systems became online.

 

“Keith’s right.” Black came to life, and Shiro appeared. “We have to focus on getting the ship working.”

 

“There’s not much you guys can do,” Allura turned to the side and pressed a few buttons, looking confused but determined. “It’s--there’s a status bar here, and it’s about 36% full. The last system to turn green is the engine, which of course is important if we want to get away.”

 

“Wait, woah, woah, woah--hold up!” Lance went pale. “You mean--take off? As in, leave the Earth?” Each of them looked to the other, their faces a mix of emotions. Fear, anxiety, astonishment, resignation--but all of them wore a certain degree of sadness. Allura didn’t answer right away, eyes flicking down to the dashboard and teeth worrying her lower lip.

 

“It’s… I don’t know how I’m so certain, but if Voltron falls into these aliens’ hands… There won’t even be an Earth to leave or come back to.” The whole entire room seemed to freeze. Keith’s grip tightened on his controls, and by the looks of it, everyone was feeling the exact same as he was.

 

Keith looked from person to person, dread filling his entire being. He himself didn’t really care about leaving the Earth; he had Shiro here, and all of the friends he could wish for--but he knew what Lance and Hunk and even Pidge must be feeling. They were being forced to leave their families; all for some unknown, uncertain future that they couldn’t escape.

 

The ruins suddenly rumbled, a tremor running through the ground. The crystals began to crack and shatter, and the rock walls fell to the ground, revealing the smooth metal of the ship. One thing was for sure; they couldn’t contemplate their decisions for long.

 

“I--I can’t leave,” Lance said, voice breaking. Keith wanted to split himself in two. After all, it was _his_ fault everyone was being subject to this.

 

“Well--we don’t have time to take off anyway.” Allura looked back up, eyes focusing on something in the distance. “Sendak is--” The entire castle lurched, and a great groan ripped through the ruins.The sound of wood splitting carried through the caves.

 

“...That did _not_ sound good,” Hunk muttered. Keith ground his jaw, and jumped up to leave. Maybe he couldn’t do anything about being part of Voltron, but he could kick Sendak’s ass and send his spirit back to his home planet.

 

“Keith!” Lance popped back up onto the feed, but Keith exited out. Red shot outside into the air, and Keith’s eyes widened at what he saw. Sendak’s ship looked a hell of a lot bigger in person. Flanking him were about twenty minor craft, all in that purple that Keith was _really_ starting to hate. Sendak forced an intermission through to everyone, and his face popped up on their screens.

 

“I don’t know whether to be angry or grateful that you gathered the other four lions after all,” he said, and Keith tried to find out how he could block Sendak from the feed. “If you don’t mind, I’ll be taking the Castle of Lions _and_ Voltron.”

 

He blipped off the screen and Shiro popped back up. “Keith, don’t do anything rash--”

 

“Sendak is right in front of the castle,” Keith growled, knuckles white. “There’s around twenty other--”

 

“We know,” Allura chimed calmly. “We need to figure out--” A few of the minor ships spotted Keith suddenly and broke off, firing right at him. He cursed, moving to avoid them.

 

“Damnit!” He had no choice but to move right into the sight of the rest of the enemy. Now, all twenty-some ships set their sights on Keith. Red dodged like a champ, taking a few hits before Keith truly got a handle on how she flew. “Do we have lasers!?” He rolled to avoid more fire; in response Red suddenly fired a beam from her mouth and prompted Keith with the knowledge of how to fire one again. Keith jumped as Lance cheered; he had forgotten about the comms.

 

“Yo Keith, how’d you do that?” Lance flew up beside him, Blue weaving through the ships to his left.

 

“Uh, a button? I just--” Lance whistled as another laser cut one the ships in front of them in half.

 

“Nice one, Pidge! Now can someone _please_ explain--”

 

“Ask your lion!” Keith and Pidge sped off into the fray, joined a moment later by Shiro and Hunk.

 

Keith headed straight towards Sendak’s ship but Shiro bumped him off it. They scattered as Sendak fired towards them, the wide beam narrowly missing Lance and Pidge.

 

“Let’s work as a _team,”_ Shiro bit out, teeth grinding in concentration. The corners of Keith’s mouth twitched downwards; he was definitely just now indirectly scolded. He huffed and pulled off it, focusing on the smaller craft around them. There were a little more than half left.

 

It was a bit rocky at first; all of them trying to work together and read one another’s actions was just a bit too demanding. They made it through well enough; avoiding Sendak’s beams and even managing to get a few grunts off each other's backs.

 

But Sendak was persistent. He started suddenly to fire two lasers; both wide beams that swept through even his own ships. The tree that housed the ruins was getting torn apart.

 

In some weird way, Keith felt like he was dancing as Red dodged and rolled through the air; it was a freeing feeling, one he hadn’t experienced in so long. He felt as if he effortlessly avoided enemy fire, and if Red’s resounding purr was anything to go by, he was right in making that assumption. Soon, only a lone enemy craft stood next to Sendak.

 

“Hell yeah, that’s what I’m talking about!” Lance pumped his fist as Hunk sent the last ship spiraling down, and Keith felt himself smile at how Hunk grinned sheepishly and Lance glowed.

 

However, It looked like Sendak wasn’t having such a great time. The alien suddenly changed the firing pattern of his guns, two more popping up and began firing erratically at the team. There were staccato bursts, long, sweeping beams, and two more miniguns that rose and locked onto the lions.

 

Hunk was hit a few times by the lasers, but his armor held up; he groaned as his lion momentarily became paralyzed.

 

“Guys, I recommend not getting hit!”

 

His controls unfroze not a second too late, as he narrowly dodged a stronger wide beam from Sendak.

 

“We need to find a way to take out those guns!” Keith saw Shiro rush in and abruptly swerve to avoid all laser suddenly pointed at him. “Okay, ideas?” Suddenly, Allura popped up on everyone’s screen.

 

“Form Voltron!” Another great crack of wood, and the castle around her tremored. Her face was pained.

 

“Okay, but how do we do that? Like is there a button, or--”

 

“Don’t we just like, combine?”

 

“Uh, maybe we just kinda--”

 

“Let’s just--fly in formation?” Shiro took off, and the rest of the team followed; Allura frowned and once more began to type away at the ship’s interface, before finally disconnecting. For a couple minutes they flew, avoiding Sendak’s fire. Nothing happened.

 

“How about we just, you know--take care of Sendak without Voltron?” Keith pulled away and fired a laser back at the purple ship, which Sendak easily dodged.

 

“And how do we avoid his lasers? We can barely avoid them by flying around constantly!” As if to prove his point, Lance was suddenly hit with the beam and sent spiraling to the ground. He landed hard, Blue rolling a couple times before skidding to a stop on all fours. Pidge grimaced, having nothing to contribute, and Hunk just shrugged as Lance rejoined them in the air.

 

“Let’s all come at him at once. He has four guns; one of us can make it through to pick off a gun.” Shiro pulled away and gave them orders; Keith and Lance approach the front but at an angle; Hunk from the bottom, Pidge from the back, and Shiro will take top.

 

Keith breathed in as everyone set into position, and at Shiro’s “Now!” they all turned sharply and rushed at Sendak. They managed to dodge the lasers until they came within 30 feet of the craft; Pidge went down first, then Hunk and Keith, leaving Lance and Shiro--all within a fraction of a second. Lance fired his beam while still racing in; Shiro continued to dive--both of them were hit, but Lance also managed to damage the gun on the top right of the ship. He cheered even as he was shot and Blue recoiled; Keith was smiling. Shiro grinned.

 

“Again!”

 

Rinse and repeat; they tore down Sendak’s defenses one by one, until the last gun remained. Shiro gave the signal and they all sped up; this time Keith from the top, Lance from the bottom, Pidge and Hunk from the front, and Shiro from the back.

 

Keith aimed for the last laser turret; on the bottom left. Sendak must have admitted defeat, as the gun wasn’t firing--not that Keith was complaining. He got ready to fire as Red closed in, but just as he was about to press the switch, the gun turned towards him, and _then_ he understood why Sendak hadn’t released the shot.

 

He was charging it.

 

Keith only had time to realize how fucked he was until the laser whistled straight at him; he heard Lance somewhere in the background as the energy engulfed him.

 

It’s something he’s never experienced before; of course, he’s also never experienced fighting an alien in a robotic lion, but getting hit with a plasma laser can definitely be crossed off the list. All Keith could see was white, and the impact knocked the air out of his lungs as Red’s harness did its job; and then Red shut down, the screen glitching out in correspondence to Keith’s vision. He could feel the pain that was transferred from the mental link--and he could tell they were falling.

 

One thing was for sure; they hit the ground _hard._ Keith couldn’t breathe, but was grateful nonetheless for the harness, or else he’d probably be splattered all over the dash. The rolling ceased and he gasped, his vision dotting but still showing him what was in front of him.

 

He groaned, his headache from earlier more than tripling. Red rumbled apologetically, and Keith shook his head in response. It took about ten seconds for the lion’s systems to reboot, and the screen came back online.

 

“Keith!” Lance’s scream assaulted his ears, and he started, grunting as a flash pierced his head. “Oh my god, Keith, are you okay?”

 

“Keith?”

 

“I swear to god if he died, I’m killing him.” Classic Pidge.

 

“I’m fine,” he bit out, readjusting himself in the chair. Blue landed in front of him, and he saw Lance shake his head.

 

“Man, you _rolled._ Like, really bad. I wasn’t sure if you were gonna make that.” In response to that, Red chuffed. Keith smiled.

 

“Red doesn’t appreciate you doubting our resilience.” Lance gaped, but then frowned.

 

“Well, ‘scuse me for being worried,” he sniffed. He dropped the accusation, his voice filled with concern, and Keith willed himself to stop getting so worked up over Lance in general. “But seriously, you good? That didn’t knock you too bad, right?”

 

“No, I’m--”

 

“As much as we’re all worried about Keith,” Shiro interrupted as Pidge touched down, and Hunk began to float downwards, “we kinda have an alien problem.” Keith looked up to see the purple ship disabled; the last gun had been taken out.

 

“So who took out--”

 

“Me,” Pidge said, shrugging. Keith’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline, but then he smiled.

 

“Good, that shot was rough.” Pidge returned his grin, but he saw it was watery.

 

Shiro and Hunk continued to fire away at Sendak, disabling his ship even further and then sending it spiraling to the ground. Keith picked Red up from the ground, and the five of them circled Sendak’s ship, barring his escape; Shiro and Allura debated on where to keep him, the latter continuing to search in the ship’s system.

 

Keith’s really come a long way in just a few months; from two friends to four to six, from no progress on his hobby to the actual uncovering of it, not to mention the _confirmed_ existence of aliens.

 

It seemed like, for once in his life, everything was going to be alright from here on out; Red seemed to agree, as the cabin resounded with a steady purr.

 

He looked towards the ruins and the damaged tree, feeling a pang of guilt for how mutilated it was now. Keith knew there was still a multitude of things to work out, but he felt content with their outlook on the future; they would all make the right decisions he knew, no matter what kind of tough choices they had to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY NEW YEARS GUYS!
> 
> Obligatory update; next to come, short after story and final prologue. Thank you all for sticking with me for this long! Not much longer until the end!  
> More Klance-y fluff in the next chapter I swear.
> 
> Goddamn, i seriously was so set on making this fic 13 chapters (my fav number) so this chapter is pretty much double the usual word count. I try and keep all the chapters for this around 4k, but this one ended up being about 8k. Ahaha... Anways, enjoy !!


	13. The Paladins of Voltron

The team docked, chattering excitedly (and almost in disbelief) about the battle, and Sendak was transported into a kind of cryogenic pod. The alien was pushed straight into it from Black, Shiro holding him firm. Coran and Allura then closed it, and the glass fogs briefly with some gas that made Sendak unresponsive.

 

“It was originally made for a crew in emergencies,” Allura explained, pressing a button that caused the pod to start floating. Coran and Pidge were mesmerized; Coran tapped it lightly as if it would come to life and slap his hand. It began to drift away, but Allura quickly got ahold of it. “This castle is very advanced… it’ll take a couple days to fully read through all the documents…”

 

“Yes! But it’s in a different language, which makes it harder.” Everyone gaped at Coran like he grew two heads.

 

“Wait,” Lance interjected, pointing a finger back and forth, “how were you and Allura able to--”

 

“Oh, there must be some universal translator or _something…”_ She shrugged. “We still don’t know what most of the words mean or are referring to. In any case, we have to decide what to do next.” Coran began to take Sendak deeper into the ship, no doubt to put the pod back where it came from, and the rest of the group dissolved into a heavy silence.

 

“... Whatever empire Sendak is a part of,” Keith started, slowly, “they’ll be back…” Allura nodded solemnly.

 

“I think that _we_ must be the ones to keep Voltron. We cannot let the aliens get ahold of it.”

 

“What about, when they come, we just give the lions to them? Like, y’know, send them on their merry way--”

 

“I don’t think it’s that simple, Hunk,” Shiro murmured, running a hand through his fringe. He looked as worn out as they all felt. “From what little information I gathered about Sendak when we were interrogated--they don’t spare.”

 

“What do you mean, ‘don’t spare?’” Pidge heaved a sigh. “They didn’t question me much, just shouted something about where Voltron was.”

 

“I mean--he said they _destroy_ planets. I don’t really know what their goal is--but there’s definitely more of them, and they’re not nice. And they want Voltron _bad.”_

 

“Okay, so wait--what I’m hearing is one;” Lance cut in, waving his hands incredulously, “we can’t give up the lions because bad things will happen, two; those ‘bad things’ are the aliens coming to destroy our planet or something, and three; _we’re_ the only ones standing in between them and worldwide annihilation?” Almost everyone looked down at the ground. Keith looked to the side, catching the desperate glint in Lance’s eyes.

 

“I mean, we don’t have to leave Earth, do we?” He looked around at everyone, and Keith’s fists clenched tighter. Lance stuttered, voice softening. “D-do we?”

 

“It’s not just about us anymore,” Shiro said quietly, though it was loud enough to break. “It’s about--it’s about _worlds._ Whole other galaxies--an entire universe.”

 

“Shiro’s right,” Allura added, wringing her wrist, “I mean--I looked up some information about Voltron and the lions while in the control room, and--” she cleared her throat. “The lions _chose_ you. It’s not like we can find other pilots… Not to mention debrief them and...” Her voice dies as she catches their expressions.

 

“But that’s… I--I have a whole family, brothers and sisters--my mom _needs me,”_ Lance’s voice broke.

 

“I’d like to stay,” Hunk said, and everyone turned to him. He flinched under the weight of their stares and backtracked. “I mean--this is all really cool and wonderful and stuff and all but like--I don’t know! I’d like to--I mean, space? For an indefinite amount of time? Without my family?” He shook his head. Pidge frowned.

 

“Well, I think we need to go.” They lifted their chin in almost a slight defiance, but their lip wobbled. “Sure, I’ll miss my family--but… it’s not like anyone but my brother will miss me much.”

 

“I think it’s our duty to do so,” Allura said simply, Shiro nodding approval. Then, everyone turned to Keith. He frowned, shifting back and forth on his feet.

 

“I… Allura, you said before when Sendak was coming--that if we didn’t fight, we wouldn’t have an Earth to come back to.” Keith bit his lip, letting that sink in before he continued. “I think… we owe it to our families and friends, and all the rest of humanity to protect the Earth.”

 

“I need--I need time,” Lance muttered, and walked out of the bay. Hunk followed, flashing everyone an apologetic smile.

 

“I guess it’s decided, then.” Shiro took a deep breath. “We leave in a day.”

 

{--+--}

 

Keith didn’t really have anywhere to go besides his apartment--no one to spend his time with. He did call his aunt in Korea, though, and explained to her that he’d be going to a boarding school tomorrow and that she didn’t have to pay for the apartment anymore. She was a bit skeptical at first; but luckily, his uncle butt in as his lie got rocky, and Keith was able to sell it.

 

“Maybe you can come visit here next summer,” his uncle said as they parted, “Jin Ah really wants to see you.” Keith nodded vigorously, even though it’s been years since he’s seen his cousin--and he wondered if it was just a necessary act of politeness. Regardless, he couldn’t help but get choked up.

 

“Yeah--yeah, that’d be great.” He cleared his throat, and then, “I--I gotta go, you know--a lot of packing to do. I’ll be in touch.” It was so easy to lie; but for some reason, the words that left his mouth carried a kind of poison, only heightened by the way his chest was tightening.

 

“Alright. And Keith--your mother and father would have been proud.” He shook his head, then, and leaned forward. His uncle… definitely seemed to know at least _something_ was up.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Take care of yourself,” his uncle murmured, and Keith straightened, almost missing it. He tried not to think about how much it sounded… like an apology.

 

“Of course. You and--and Jin Ah.” The line clicked dead, and Keith wondered just what kind of stars aligned for his uncle to show interest in him again. His aunt hadn’t much cared for him, especially when he got kicked out, but…

 

It’s pretty weird; he hadn’t really thought about how much he was leaving behind, but after that conversation it was put a little more in perspective. Keith walked up to his shelf of plants, and wondered what he’d do with them. He didn’t really know; he wanted to take a few with him, of course… but he liked each and every one of them.

 

He sighed as he sat down, and began to sort through them. He guessed he could give the rest to either Lance’s family or Hunk’s; but he figured that’d be pretty weird--also, he felt like they’d want this time to themselves.

 

In any case, he chose to take Pidge’s cactus with him; that one for obvious reasons. He also picked out an aloe plant, another with pink marbled leaves, an ivy, and a small plant that, in the summertime, produced blue flowers. The rest, he figured, were either too fragile for space travel, or would survive on their own if he planted them outside.

 

With only a few hours of remaining daylight, he took the rest of the plants and drove them around the neighborhood, his bike’s engine gunning softly as he left them at people’s doors. He gave the tall grassy one to a girl he used to know in highschool, who helped him understand a math problem once. Another spiny cactus he gave to a that one quiet guy in the back of one of his Garrison classes--was it astrophysics or philosophy? He didn’t remember. Anyway, the guy helped him when Iverson caught him sleeping in the back of class and called on him for a question.

 

On and on like that; people he didn’t get to know at all or not too well got a random plant on their porch, and whatever they decided to do with it was their decision. Finally, he took a nice, slow drive back, feeling the wind in his hair one last time in the setting sun. Tonight, a kind of humidity hung in the air; it tasted slightly of rust, but it wasn’t unpleasant. He wondered if there were other planets like Earth. But still… it definitely wouldn’t be the same.

 

He rolled up slowly to his apartment, and decided to take at least a small duffel bag of clothes. He stared at the bike keys on his counter; he wanted to take it with him… but where’d he get the chance to ride? He phoned Hunk’s brother, leaving a message for him about the bike and to pick it up in the morning, outside his apartment.

 

It was weird; he wondered what poor soul was gonna get the job of cleaning out his apartment, and finding all this random, useless stuff. Keith only had a handful of belongings, so it wasn’t hard to take care of everything, and after that--he just laid there.

 

When his mind couldn’t take it anymore, he paced around; walking the tiny floor space in his apartment and trying to ward off second thoughts. The sun set far below the horizon and the moon rose--and still he didn’t stop, biting his lip, hard.

 

If _he_ was having this much trouble, he couldn’t imagine what kind of difficulty the others were having. He wandered out into his driveway and looked up at the sky; it was clear tonight, and full of stars.

 

“Can’t sleep?”

 

He nearly jumped out of his skin as Lance walked up, toting a huge bag behind him. Keith gaped slightly, before remembering to answer.

 

“I mean… me and sleep don’t mix well anyway,” he mumbled, and Lance laughed, but it was heavy and almost forced.

 

“Yeah, you can say that again.” Keith wasn’t surprised when Lance sat down next to him, or even when he leaned on Keith’s shoulder.

 

“I had so much trouble figuring out what to bring,” he said, and Keith bit the inside of his cheek at how hollow Lance sounded. “I mean, how can you prepare for something like space travel?”

 

“Lance…”

 

“I had to leave before I lost my nerve.” Keith turned to look at him, but Lance had his gaze set on the sky, eyes glistening. “I mean--Pierce caught me, of course. That one’s such a light sleeper--” he chuckled, wiping his eyes, “but I had--I had to lie.

 

“It doesn’t feel real yet,” he continued, and Keith hummed in agreement. “It still doesn’t--I mean, what’s so real about aliens and mechanical war-lions?”

 

“Lance--”

 

“Keith, we don’t even know what we’re up against. We don’t know if we’ll go into space and die immediately, or even if we’ll get so far just to fail--I mean, hell, Sendak almost _killed_ you. Why would I--” His voice broke, then, and Keith couldn’t look at him.

 

“There’s… there’s a lot of uncertainty,” he started quietly, and felt Lance shift to glance at him. “You could very well be right--we could fail, in more ways than one. But from what I feel, and what Allura’s saying--what Red tells me, deep in my gut--I know that even if we fail, we have to try. That one chance to succeed... I just--” Keith paused, composing himself. “I just wish it didn’t have to be like this.” Keith met Lance’s gaze, and Lance’s eyes soften.

 

“I told… I told Pierce to take care of everyone,” Lance’s voice broke, and he gripped Keith’s arm. “I’m--”

 

“I know,” Keith interrupted, leaning his head on Lance’s. “I told my aunt and uncle that I’d be going to a boarding school in California.” Lance snorted.

 

“California? _You?_ California?” Keith frowned lightly, the heat between him and Lance filling him.

 

“Hey, it could happen.”

 

“The only thing ‘California’ about you is that mullet,” Lance smirked, body relaxing as they joked. Keith took the bait, if only to calm Lance and get his mind on another subject.

 

“Wha--I told you, I don’t have a mullet.” Keith felt like he didn’t have to pretend to take the bait, though.

 

“Mmhm. Whatever you say, mulletman.”

 

“What’s with that name, anyway? You keep--”

 

“Mulletman, take me by the hand; lead me to the land that you understand,” Lance sang, and Keith’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Mulletman, the voyage to the ends of the world are a real trip. Mulletman--”

 

“What--”

 

“The hair of a pale man styled by his hand--”

 

“That doesn’t make any--”

 

“--Soaking up the thirst of the land... “ Lance leaned back on the pavement. It rang a bit familiarly in Keith’s ears, the melody at least--but he couldn’t place it. “That’s all I got.”

 

“What--”

 

“Oh hey, what’d you do with all your plants?” Keith sighed.

 

“I planted some, gave the rest away…” He closed his eyes.

 

“And you didn’t give any to me?” Lance faked getting stabbed in the chest. “I’m wounded.”

 

“Shut up,” Keith said, unable to stop a smile--and smacking Lance lightly on the shoulder to hide it. “I have one for you, actually.” He froze as Lance suddenly stared at him very intensely--and then, a second later, the moment passed.

 

“Well, that’s good, because when we’re on the ship and I need someone to talk to, and you and Hunk and Pidge and Allura are all taken--I can talk to my plant.” Keith snorted, and Lance whipped around. “What?”

 

“You can always come find me, you know--” And then Keith blinked, realizing. “I mean--a plant can’t talk back at you, so--and I’m sure Hunk wouldn’t mind if you--” Lance chuckled softly, and Keith cleared his throat. God, he's acting like such an idiot--and his warm face isn't helping. Neither is Lance's stare.

 

“Thanks, Keith.” He didn’t really know how to respond to that; this Lance was completely different from the one he’s seen previously, all bravado; but somehow, it fit. Keith closed his eyes.

 

“Remember that time we talked about flying?” He felt Lance turn to him, and breathed out before continuing. “You told me… that you wanted to see the universe, everything you could.” Lance snorted, a bit bitterly, and Keith’s eyes snapped open. “It’s still your dream, Lance. Maybe… it wasn’t what you were expecting, and maybe… you don’t give a shit now that the circumstances are so different.” Keith gave a wry smile.

 

“But we’re gonna see it, Lance. We’re gonna experience the universe, all the beauty, all the ugly, too--but it’s gonna happen.” Lance’s eyes began to water, and Keith tried to will him to feel the _possibility_ in what they were about to do. He hoped it was a positive thing. “We’re gonna see it all,” he added softly, choking on his words, and the dam finally broke.

 

{--+--}

 

They started to walk as the sun began to rise. Lance with his belongings, Keith with his, the bike left for Dezmond to take when he got the message. They didn’t talk; they didn’t need to.

 

The castle of lions looked different from afar; instead of a gigantic tree, it was more of a gleaming white rock formation. A smooth one. With only about a quarter of the tree still left intact. It was a sight to see, and the sun shining full and strong in the sky would only highlight that. Literally.

 

“God, I still hate this damn jungle,” Lance grumbled, wiping off a cobweb and adjusting his duffel. “That’s one thing I won’t miss-- _spiders.”_ Keith paused.

 

“Wait, Lance--what about if there’s a planet of giant--” Lance shook his head, locking his arms in an X formation.

 

“Nope! No, definitely not, no, no, no! No input from Keith Chang, the hearings have closed for the day--”

 

“But it could totally--” He covered his ears and kept shaking his head, his eyes screwed shut. Keith laughed and patted him on the back, then scooted around him on the path and stood in front. He grabbed Lance’s wrists and quickly pulled them off his ears.

 

“It’s alright,” Keith said mischievously, “I’ll kill them for you.” Lance opened an eye and glanced at him, but still suspicious. “--With a big giant space boot.” Lance melted.

 

“Nooo! Keith! How could you! I imagined that! Oh no, I imagined the huge boot and the--How dare you,” he stopped his antics, suddenly, and fixed Keith with a hard look. “I sat with you when you cried--”

 

“Uh! You were crying for _so much longer than I was--”_

 

“And I nurtured you when you were sick! I even made you breakfast!”

 

“You did _not!_ You burnt the toast! Remember, I had to come down and make it because you set off the fire alarm--” Lance waved his hand in front of Keith’s face.

 

“Details! Details! Unimportant!”

 

“Excuse me, Earth to Lance Diaz! It’s super important!”

 

“Okay, whatever, but it still doesn’t take away from me taking care of you!” Lance stuck his tongue out, but Keith sat back and thought about that for a minute. Lance had been the only one that was really with him every step of the way.

 

“Fine, fine--come on, we’re gonna be late,” Keith mumbled, turning around and starting again. Lance pursed his lips.

 

“Mmm, what’s this? Keith Chang, admitting defeat? I can’t believe--”

 

“It’s not defeat! It’s--” Keith huffed. “No more spider talk! Just get over here.”

 

“Uh, hold on--I couldn’t really make it out, repeat it to me one more--” Keith marched straight up into Lance’s personal space, looking him straight in the eye.

 

“I,” he said, frowning slightly, “am extremely grateful for you looking out for me the past few weeks.” Lance blinked, and Keith opened his mouth, but then closed it again. He coughed lightly, feeling as heat rose up to his face, and made to take a step back. But Lance’s hand caught him, and _god he needed to get about 200 feet away because jesus christ--_

 

Then he froze, as he realized that Lance had just probably planted a kiss right on his cheek. They pulled back, Lance still gripping Keith’s arm.

 

“Uh--” he said, and they both glanced at the other, and if Keith wasn’t burning up before, he sure as hell was _now._

 

“That--”

 

“I kinda like you?” Lance blurt out, rushed and desperate, face growing even redder the more Keith looked.

 

“I’m--okay?” Keith spluttered slightly, mind whirling. This is what he wanted, right? This is--

 

“Um, I’m glad you’re okay?” Lance blinked confusedly at the other boy, and Keith tried to regain his composure.

 

“I--I mean--I just--what?”

 

“What?”

 

“No, like--”

 

“You know, usually me telling someone I like them isn’t really this hard to grasp--” Keith took a deep breath, and then shushed Lance.

 

“Okay, okay… well, how about I start over, then?” Lance’s brows furrowed.

 

“Do you--do you want _me_ to start over too? I mean, I can if you want but it’s kinda--”

 

“No, shut up.”

 

“Okay? You’re kinda killing me, man.” Lance looked at Keith a bit warily, and Keith chuckled softly. This was Lance, and damned if he wasn’t going into space to fight aliens who wanna take over the world with a huge robot lion.

 

“I like you too,” he stated, and coming out of his mouth, for the first time ever--he felt how true it was. Lance paused, though.

 

“Wait, you mean _like_ as friends? Or do you mean--” Keith rolled his eyes.

 

_“Really?_ You tell _me_ that this usually isn’t so hard to understand and _you--”_

 

“Okay! Valid point, but also you’re kinda really pretty so I don’t--”

 

“Wha--You can’t just _say_ that!” Keith covered his face and turned away slightly, but Lance frowned.

 

“Why not?”

 

“‘Cause you--” Keith sighed, wondering if he could spontaneously combust, “ _you’re_ the pretty one.”

 

“That’s!” Lance leaned back, pointing at Keith with an accusing finger. “That’s illegal!”

 

“Now you understand how _I_ feel!”

 

“Well it’s true!”

 

“I wasn’t lying either!”

 

The two of them finally broke their stare-off, and Keith groaned, both hands covering his face. Lance was no better off, throwing his hoodie up and pulling the strings to block his face.

 

“We’re really bad at this, aren’t we,” Lance muttered, and Keith barked out a laugh, moving a finger to glance at him. It was pretty funny, seeing Lance like that, because his nose was sticking out. He snorted, trying to stifle his laughter, but Lance heard; not that he was trying too hard to hide it. “What?”

 

“Your nose,” Keith said, and as Lance started to open the drawstrings, Keith whacked his hands away. “No! No, no, wait--” He quickly pulled his phone out and tried to snap a picture, but Lance jumped away and put his hands up in a mock-karate stance.

 

“What _about_ my perfect nose, Chang?”

 

“Wait a minute and _find out,”_ Keith countered, and even from under the fabric he could tell Lance was giving him that _look._ The one where his eyes narrowed and his brows scrunched together, and his lips puckered out. Wasting no time, Keith’s phone shutter went off, and Lance immediately started.

 

_“Keith!”_ He undid the hood and glared while Keith just snickered and looked back at his photos. “Keith!” Lance began to stomp forward, but Keith danced away, sending the pictures to both Hunk and Pidge. “I swear to god, if you don’t have those deleted--”

 

“I deleted them! I swear!” Keith waved the phone around in surrender, but Lance wasn’t convinced. He crossed his arms.

 

“Phone. Now,” he said, and Keith snorted.

 

“What are you, my _boyfriend?”_ They both froze, before Keith burst out laughing. Lance quickly followed. “Okay, that was unintentional--”

 

“That was a terrible joke--”

 

“I know, but--” Lance dove towards Keith suddenly and managed to swipe the phone, and Keith glanced at Lance, then his hand, where the phone used to be, and then back to Lance.

 

“Wh--hey!”

 

“Oh. You actually did delete them,” Lance huffed, and Keith tried to cover up his snort. He beckoned to Lance.

 

“Yeah. Phone?” Lance shook his head.

 

“Only on one condition,” he said. Keith tilted his head slightly, sizing Lance up. “Answer this question.”

 

“What?”

 

“Will you,” he paused for dramatic effect, “go out with me?”

 

“I--” Keith rolled his eyes again. “Get over here, Diaz--”

 

“Just answer the--”

 

_“Yes,_ now just--we’re really gonna be late--” Lance shortly pumped his fist.

 

_“Hell yes,_ but also are we really that late? Shiro said a day and it’s only like 7 am.” Lance joined Keith as they started back on the path, and Keith snorted.

 

“I bet you they’re all there by now.” Lance frowned at that.

 

“I’ll bet you they _aren’t,”_ he said, just to be difficult, and Keith stuck his tongue out.

 

“Okay, what do you bet?” Lance narrowed his eyes.

 

“A kiss, in front of _everyone.”_

 

“Wha--no! No way,” he spluttered, face going back to the red mess it was before.

 

“Yep! Whoever loses has to initiate--”

 

“No! Not in front of everyone,” he added, and he couldn’t believe he actually _liked_ someone like Lance. The universe wanted to kill him. Death by teenage love. He could tell Lance was going to argue it, so he quickly amended his statement. “Shiro is like my older brother, dude. How would you feel if Nancy and her future--”

 

“Okay! Okay, I get it, fine!” Lance glanced at him. “Do we have a deal, though?” Keith smirked.

 

“Be prepared to _lose hard,_ Diaz.”

 

“Pretty tough words for someone who’s about to _eat_ them.”

 

{--+--}

When they were about to enter the ruins, Lance laced his fingers with Keith's, and Keith just about had a heart attack. He refused to look at Lance.

 

"This is some corny shit," Keith sighed, wanting some kind of god to strike him dead. He wondered when the flames lighting his cheeks would goddamn  _stop._

 

"Yep," is all Lance said, popping 'p' and glancing pointedly at every tree and vine that was nowhere near Keith.

 

{--+--}

 

The two teens arrived last; it seemed that Pidge had gotten there even before the sun came up, Coran a bit after them; Allura had been there all night, and Shiro appeared at the same time as Hunk, coincidentally. Once all together again, they stood in a circle, regarding one another. Keith raised an eyebrow at Lance, who just pouted at him.

 

“It’s time,” Allura said, and they nodded.

 

They headed into the control room, Allura and Coran taking the helm, the rest of the crew sitting in their respective seats. The realness of everything seemed to be hitting everyone at full force, because even Allura hesitated over the dashboard. She straightened, though, and Shiro placed a hand on her shoulder. They shared a look. She cleared her throat, then turned around.

 

“You are now the paladins of Voltron,” she said, voice ringing clearly around the ship, “and we are your support. Late last night, we picked up an enemy vessel approaching Earth; we have to assume it’s one of Sendak’s reinforcements. And going by this intergalactic map, where I traced Sendak’s fundamental biological signature--” the room exploded into star systems, some floating right in front of Keith’s face; most all of the planets were red, “we have to assume that whatever faction he’s apart of have conquered most of the known universe.” Hunk exhaled loudly, shakily, and Keith clenched his fist.

 

“So, everyone; get ready for the fight of your lives, for the rest of your lives. We are now Voltron, and we’ll either rid the universe of this evil and save the Earth, or--” she turned around, and put her hands back on the controls. “We die trying, and the Earth and every other plant out there follows suit.”

 

Keith looked to the screen, where he could see the clouds and the sky, and the town he left in the distance; and he grit his teeth. Lance didn’t look much better than Hunk did, instead looking at Keith with a pale, anxious expression. He tried to flash Lance a smile, but he didn’t think it worked. Shiro looked determined, and Pidge was biting their lip. Coran and Allura, Keith couldn’t see.

 

There were many unknowns in the future for the team; but that’s what they were now. A team. He had to believe in that, as they rocketed off out of Earth’s atmosphere; he had to trust in his gut, trust in Red and trust in Voltron--and let the future play out.

 

Red purred encouragingly in the back of his head, and he took a deep breath; even if his mind was in doubt, he knew, deep in his marrow, that this was where he was supposed to be, that this was what he was supposed to do.

 

No one ever said being a defender of the universe was easy. After all, he didn’t know anyone else who’s ever done it.

  
  


 

 

 

**{-- Epilogue --}**

 

 

Keith huffed, wiping the sweat off his brow as the level 5 gladiator disappeared. He sighed, wondering just how long it’d been since they’d left Earth. Two months? Three?

 

He walked over and downed a good portion of his water, sighing and sitting down on a bench. Yeah, it’s been about two and a half months. They’ve battled Galra--that’s what they’re called, Galra--left and right, front and back and every angle in between. They’ve taken some pretty serious damage, with Lance and that bomb, and then Allura being taken--he jumped suddenly when Lance’s voice range out.

 

“Hey, mulletman!” Keith rolled his eyes.

 

“Jesus, Lance,” he grumbled, watching Lance walk toward him, that lopsided grin same as the one he wore when they first met. He raised his water to take another sip, but Lance stole it right from his hands and started to drink. “Hey, don’t put your mouth on that.”

 

“We exchange spit every few hours, brodude,” he said, handing it back and wiping off his mouth. Keith frowned.

 

“Whatever.”

 

“What’s up with you?”

 

“Nothing,” Keith muttered, wiping the mouth of the bottle and finishing it off.

 

“Nope, no, something’s the matter, what is it?” Lance’s tone softened at the end, and Keith sighed. Count on Lance to notice even the slightest change in mood; not like… it was particularly hard to detect. “You missed dinner, and nobody has seen you today.” Keith squinted at the clock above the door. It was almost 11 pm.

 

“It’s--I’m just…” Keith sighed, shaking himself. “I’ll tell you after I shower, I’m sweaty.”

 

“Alright, but Chang--” Lance pulled his shoulder back and placed a kiss on his lips. “I’m not letting you get away this time.” Keith chuckled softly, pushing him away.

 

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever.”

 

{--+--}

 

Keith stepped out of his room around 11:45, finding Lance leaning against the door waiting. He jumped slightly, towel still around his neck, and Lance presented a plate of food to him.

 

“Let’s go to the deck,” he said, and they walked down the corridor, Keith glancing down at the food goo and accompanying spork. Hunk had been right about that.

 

They entered the observation deck, and since the lights in the castle had already dimmed to mimic nighttime, they kept the lights off so as to not get a shock. It was nicer this way, anyway; they could gaze out at the stars and experience their full beauty.

 

“So,” Lance started, settling down, “you gonna eat your food?” Keith snorted.

 

“Yeah.” Keith dug his spoon into the goo and shoveled it into his mouth. “I was gonna, but I can’t exactly eat while walking.”

 

“Uh, yeah you can?”

 

“No,” he insisted, eyebrows scrunching, “you can’t. You’ll choke.”

 

“Well, tell that to twelve year old me who just found out about gogurts.” Keith paused, thinking.

 

“Maybe for gogurts it’s different. Can you choke on gogurts?’

 

“I don’t know, why’re you asking me? I never choked on one.” Lance shrugged, stealing some of Keith’s food goo.

 

“Hey! You already ate!” Lance leaned in really close, eyes flicking down to Keith’s lips, and then he took some more goo.

 

“Should’ve come to dinner.”

 

“You dick,” Keith deadpanned, and Lance smiled innocently.

 

“Anyway, why’re you so down today? Even if you do get some alone time, you show up for dinner.” Keith sighed and drew his knees up, wrapping his arms around them loosely.

 

“My parents,” he started, and Lance’s face immediately changed. Keith looked back at the clock. It was slightly after midnight. “Today is the anniversary of their death.”

 

Lance leaned against him, and Keith blinked, resting his head on Lance’s.

 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said softly, and Keith nodded.

 

“It’s alright,” he murmured, breathing deeply. “It’s just--this is the first year I can’t visit them. It's hard."

 

"Yeah," Lance's hand found Keith's, and entwined their fingers. "I sometimes wonder how my mom is faring, how Pierce is doing, if Nancy made tryouts; if the twins are giving their teacher a hard time, how my dad is. Just--how everyone is doing. I think about them all the time." Keith nodded, rubbing Lance's thumb. "It's an ache," he continued softly, "and... it's so, so deep."

 

"I wonder how my aunt and uncle are, and my cousin. I told them I would visit, later in the year." He chuckled at that, but it was humorless. Lance squeezed his hand. "My parents... I just... wonder, sometimes..." Keith didn't finish, but Lance understood.

 

“They’re proud,” Lance said, with such conviction that Keith was caught off-guard, “They’re definitely proud, Keith.” Keith laughed softly, looking back at the stars, a whole life ahead of them, space spanning out for all that amount of time and more. He thought about Voltron, about Red and Zarkon and the fate of the universe--he thought about Lance, and Pidge, Shiro, and Hunk, and Alllura and Coran. Everything.

  
“I know,” he mumbled, turning his head more towards Lance, smelling his shampoo. “I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! Here it is, the final chapter, chapter 13! Delivered to you by yours truly, on friday the 13th! my birthday! ahaha!
> 
> Ah, anyway. I didn't beta this, maybe I will, maybe I won't. Enjoy! Hopefully you had fun following these two awkward dorks throughout the fic and confessing and just in general being a mess about each other. Wipes sweat from my brow. My first finished multi-chapter. truly, a significant achievement in my life. Okay it's 2 am and words are failing me.
> 
> Either way, thank you, genuinely, for sticking with me through this till the end! until my next klance fic, adieu! Hit me up on social media, i'm always down to talk.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on [tumblr](http://neoroxas.tumblr.com) and [twitter](http://www.twitter.com/seasaltsun)  
> >>> just a disclaimer im rly annoying and also cant shut up >:->


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